A New Bond
by Ranowa Hikura
Summary: Parental!Kakashi, no romance. Set pre-series. The fact that the stranger didn't glare at him was cause enough to arise Naruto's interest, but the memories that one red eye had showed him were a whole other story… Ch. 14: The End.
1. Chapter 1

My first Parental!Kakashi fic (and mult-chapter Naruto). NOT yaoi. Will not be a long fic; only four chapters, though I've thought of other oneshots that could take place in this universe that I may or may not write. Enjoy.

"Sakura-chan! Sakura-chan, here!"

Sakura pushed Naruto back and turned away with a scowl, planting her hands on her hips. "Go _away_, Naruto!"

"But, Sakura-chan!" Naruto tried to hand her the small box again, growing only more persistent when she shoved him away again. "It's your birthday! Everybody likes presents on their birthday!"

Sakura rolled her eyes. "Not from _you_, baka! No one wants whatever old, smelly thing you have to give us! You have no idea what to get a girl for a present, channaro!"

Naruto pouted. "But," he tried again, "it's not old or smelly! I'd love it if someone got me one for my birthday!"

"I told you to back off!" Sakura violently grabbed him by the hair and twisted, throwing him to the dusty ground with a blow hard enough to make his head spin.

"Aw, that's too bad, Forehead. Only one to remember your birthday is that baka? Sasuke-kun remembered mine, you know!"

Sakura turned with a glare to face Ino, her hands balling into fists again. "Shut up, Ino-pig!" she cried, frustrated. "Sasuke-kun did not remember _your _birthday! He has good taste!"

Ino smirked. "Exactly. Which is why he gave _me_ a _very_ beautiful rose for _my_ birthday. What did he give you, Forehead?"

Sakura's eyes widened in fury, and with a wild yell she threw herself at Ino, fist cocked back in a punch. Naruto scrambled to his feet to watch, frantically trying to find some interlude in the violence in which to give his present and, when that failed, just enjoying the two girls fight. There was plenty of hair being pulled back and skirts torn and feral snarls, and just when it was starting to look like a real good cat fight, they were interrupted.

"Haruno Sakura! What do you think you're doing?!"

"Ino, back off her! Now!"

Both girls froze and turned to look at the men who had approached, Sakura's fist frozen about an inch away from Ino's shoulder. Naruto blinked and stumbled back- they were right behind him, how had he not even heard their approach? One was a short, bulky figure with a balding head but eyes the same brilliant shade as Sakura's, and it didn't take a genius to know that his overweight figure was not that of a ninja's. The other was tall and lean, his hair a dark, burnt gold and pulled back into a ponytail that hung to his waist with the clearest green eyes Naruto had ever seen, bearing the Konoha forehead protector and dressed in black and grey.

"Hey!" Naruto accused, pointing up at the man with the ponytail. "You! You're a ghost, aren't you? That's how you sneaked up on us!"

"_Baka Naruto!_" Ino yelled, kicking out at him and catching him in the side. "Don't you dare talk to him like-"

"Ino, stop. Come on. We're going. And you're not going to get away with fighting Sakura."

Naruto stared as Ino got up and stomped over to the probable ghost, her hands on her hips. "But, Dad, she started it!"

"I don't care _who_ started it!"

Naruto's eyes widened. _Dad? Big scary ponytail ghost man is Ino's dad?_

"Sakura, come on! I've had enough of you fighting with that nice girl over that who-he-whats-it Sasuro or-"

"_Dad!_" Sakura wailed, horrified, looking around as if she was terrified someone had ever heard. "His name is_ Sasuke! Sasuke-kun!_ How could you get that wrong?! Oh, no, what if he heard? _Don't worry, Sasuke-kun, I_-"

"Sasuke, whatever! Now-"

Sakura wailed again in despair. "It is not _whatever_, Dad! It's _Sasuke-kun!_ He's the most important man in the whole entire uni-"

"Yeah, yeah. Now, come on. I've had enough of you and Inoichi's kid fighting. You were such good friends-"

"She tried to steal Sasuke-kun from me! That makes her my enemy!" Sakura declared, even as she got up, annoyed, and started to head unhappily after her father. Seizing his chance, Naruto jumped back up as well and hurried up behind her, holding out his present with a broad, expectant smile.

"Wait, wait, Sakura-chan! Your present!"

"Ugh… go away! I don't care! No one even likes you, jeez! Stop following me!"

Naruto winced.

Sakura's father turned around with a furious look on his face, then stopped short when he actually saw who his daughter had rebuked. He glowered down at Naruto and ripped the box out of his hands, shaking it roughly before throwing it to smash into the ground. "_You!_" he snapped. "What the hell is this?!"

Naruto flinched. The man was glowering down at him with those eyes…those eyes… he looked almost like he wanted to kill him.

"You keep away from my daughter! I don't want you anywhere near her!"

He stared in horror. Naruto opened his mouth to say he had only wanted to give her a birthday present, but Sakura's father pushed him back, easily forcing his small frame to the ground before he turned and roughly grabbed Sakura's hand, pulling her away from him. As he left, Naruto was able to hear him mutter, "Sakura, don't talk with that boy. Keep away from it."

Naruto stiffened.

An _it_. He wasn't even a person. He was an _it._

A white hut fury began to grow in his chest. His anger snarled like a living creature and he started to shake, his hands fisting around the dirt of the road as he gritted his teeth, drawing in a heavy, angry breath.

Then, to his horror, he felt his eyes fill with tears.

_Not now not now not now don't be a baby be angry don't cry don't cry don't cry be angry dammit_

His watery gaze landed on the small card, lying abandoned on the ground. The slight breeze opened it, revealing what was inside.

A small gift coupon that he'd won. Free ramen at Ichiraku's. For a year.

The small coupon was taped to the card, and underneath it were three words.

_Happy birthday, Sakura-chan!_

Naruto sniffled and reached out for the card just as a particularly strong gust of wind blew, and the card was caught by the warm wind, lifting up into the air and dancing across the street, out of his grasp.

Naruto stared after it for one long moment, then took off running.

* * *

_Don't talk with _that boy.

_Keep away from _it.

"I am not an it! I'm Uzumaki Naruto!"

Naruto's enraged yell echoed around the trees as he sprinted forward, still scrubbing at the tears falling relentlessly down his cheeks. Nothing was important. Nothing else mattered but putting one foot in front of the other, over and over and over, one foot in front of the other…

"I am not an it. I am Uzumaki Naruto," he whispered.

_Go away! _

_No one even likes you!_

Naruto hung his head and ran faster.

And promptly ran into what felt like a metal wall.

Crying out as he stumbled and fell over backwards, Naruto blinked rapidly, seeing stars as he raised a hand to his head. "Owwww," he complained, rubbing his aching forehead. He blinked again and struggled to sit up, searching for the wall that had dared to just pop up and obstruct his path.

It wasn't a wall, though. It was a person.

He sported the Konoha headband, but instead of a green vest, he wore what had undoubtedly once been a white plate of hard armor, but that was now scuffed and dirty, stained red in some places with what could only be blood. There was a katana strapped to his back, but the leather had been nearly severed and the sheath was very, very close to falling to the ground. Underneath the armor was a sleevless black top and dark pants, the cloth stained with even more questionable materials than his armor.

But in spite of all that battle-hardened glory of the shinobi that Naruto fantasized about, he found he couldn't look away from his head.

His face hidden by a simple white mask with a few almost childlike patterns inscribed on it. It appeared decidedly canine, and Naruto found himself shivering at the blank sight. A thick mane of silver hair stood upright on his head in a stubborn defiance against gravity, the tips stained red as well.

Naruto stared, gaping.

The ninja looked back down at him, but with the mask, Naruto had no idea what he was thinking. He scrambled back along the dusty path, stammering to try and get an excuse while mentally cursing himself that this was the second time someone had just appeared in front of him today without him even noticing. He wondered if this man was a ghost, even if Ino's dad wasn't.

"I… I…"

Naruto's frantic mumbles were interrupted when the ninja gasped and fell to his knees.

Naruto jumped, eyes widening before he scrambled forward, grabbing the man by the shoulder. "Hey! Hey! Mister! Are you okay? H-!"

He gasped as, the next second- he would never, as long as he lived, understand how- he ended up on his stomach, one arm jacked behind his back and dangerously close to breaking while the other was pinned to his side. "Who are you?!" the man hissed, pushing on the arm behind his back harder.

Naruto opened his mouth, but no sound came out.

"I said, _who are you?_!"

He let out a little whimper as his arm was strained even further. "Uzu… Uzumaki Naruto…" Naruto trailed off, actually trembling in terror. This was just like earlier. The man hated him and he didn't even know why.

But he couldn't do anything. He couldn't do anything at all.

Naruto had never believed he would be one to be paralyzed by fear.

The ninja's grip on his arm abruptly slackened and the man fell back, giving another audible gasp. "Uzumaki… Kushina? No… No… not Kushina…"

Naruto stared in shock. The man's babbling made no sense, but his voice was no longer filled with distrust and suspicion. It was almost… wonderment? He stared at the masked face in surprise, and then, suddenly, it wasn't masked anymore.

The man pushed the white canine mask off to the side of his face to reveal yet another mask, this one navy blue and pulled up to his nose. His forehead was slick with sweat and he appeared manic, fevered, not totally in his right mind. One eye was human and normal and grey, but the other made Naruto recoil. It was like a demon's, red and black, with a thick scar bisecting it, and Naruto could feel it pierce down to his very soul.

"Minato-sensei?!" The man gasped, and Naruto froze as the ninja reached out in amazement. "It is… it is you… Minato-sensei!"

And then that red eye was spinning spinning spinning, black symbols in the scarlet rotating too fast for his eye to keep up- spinningspinningspinning

"-Kakashi, I'm sorry."

And the forest, the masked man, the sky, the ground- it all disappeared.

Naruto wanted to blink, wanted to gasp, bewildered, but his mouth didn't open, and he couldn't even make a sound. He found himself shifting to stare down at- the Hokage?

_But… he's so young! _Surely, that man could not be the old Hokage that was more like a grandfather to the village than anything else, surely that man dressed in battle armor and blood staining his chin and a face without wrinkles and pain in his eyes could _not_ be the Hokage!

And was he looking _down_ at the Hokage?

Since when had he gotten so tall?

And then his mouth was opening, and out came a voice that wasn't his own and a question that he hadn't thought to ask.

"What?"

The Hokage shook his head regretfully and bowed his head in a gesture of such respect and pain Naruto couldn't possibly believe the motion could come from the old Hokage. "Minato… sealed it. With the Death God contract."

And suddenly, Naruto's hands were shaking, even though he had no idea what the words meant, and he felt a peculiar sensation in his gut. It took him a few moments to recognize it as the emotion of disbelief and on the edge of agony, because why would he be upset? He didn't have any idea who Minato was or what a Death God contract was or what was going on.

His mouth opened of its own accord again, in that voice that was far too deep and low to be his. "No. No. No… he didn't. No, Hokage-sama."

Naruto wanted to stare in shock as the Hokage raised his head to reveal glistening eyes. What? The Hokage didn't cry! He was the _Hokage! _There was so much that was just so wrong with this- hallucination, this… whatever it was. The Hokage didn't cry.

"I'm sorry, Kakashi."

And then the emotions that weren't his curled up again in an acute anguish, a pain so strong that Naruto opened his mouth and let out a little cry, and only realized he'd only done so in his imagination when the body didn't respond. The voice did speak again, though, in a weak tremor and his hands started to shake. "Kushina?"

The Hokage just shook his head.

Abruptly, Naruto was turned to look away and found himself staring at the night sky. It was almost entirely obscured by a curiously red smoke, and then he sniffed and found he could smell blood, nothing but the metallic scent of blood _since when had he been able to smell blood _and the agony was getting worse, pain as such that Naruto had never felt before, the harsh, cold reality of loneliness bucking up and washing over him in a wave-

"Shut it, Jiraiya."

The abrupt change was reeling. There was no red smoke, no blood, no too young and too sad Hokage and no unbearable agony curled up in his chest like a slumbering monster. Just a dull, tired ache and suddenly it was dark and calm and he was inside, and there was an old man he had never seen before standing across from from him, long, snow white hair pulled back into a sharp ponytail. His dark eyes had curious red marking about them, and his black shirt was the characteristic mark of mourning. He looked singularly miserable.

The man sighed. "Look, brat. I'm sorry that I can't stay. But-"

"You're _staying_."

The sadness that wasn't his own rose up into a dull anger, and Naruto found himself taking a step forward and glowering at the man, who didn't seem intimidated in the slightest. He just sighed. "Kakashi… no. There've been… reports of… Orochimaru, and-"

"You think I give a _fuck _about that snake bastard traitor?!"

The pure, unadulterated fury in his voice stunned him. Naruto had no idea why he was so angry. And who was Orochimaru?

The old man grimaced and looked away. "Look, he's a stubborn ass, but, surely, with the village as it is now, he'll come back. I've just got to go track the bastard down and convince him is all. And I'll drag him back kicking and screaming if I have to. So just-"

"No, Jiraiya. _No_. Minato-sensei is… was your student. You were his teacher. If Orochimaru didn't come back before, he's not going to com back now, just like Tsunade's _not coming back_. None of them are coming back."

Jiraiya's gaze turned into a glare. "You don't know that."

Naruto found his reply to be quick and demanding, his still too low and unfamiliar voice harsh. "Oh, you think I don't? They don't just come back because you want them to, Jiraiya-_sama!_ My father's not coming back, Obito's not, Rin's not, Sensei's not- your precious people don't get to come back just because you want them to!"

Jiraiya's glare softened, and he sighed, though the pain in his eyes was evident. When he spoke again, his voice was the slightest bit sympathetic, which only made Naruto feel even angrier. "Kid… kook, I'm sorry. But Orochimaru's just-"

"Will you _shut up _about Orochimaru?! Minato-sensei is dead and you-"

"Why the hell does it matter so much to _you_ that I'm there? I shouldn't be there, Kakashi. A teacher is _not_ supposed to outlast his students. That just means he sucked at his job."

"No, it doesn't. But if you don't stay, then you will have. That'll be your ultimate failure as a _teacher_." Naruto found himself spitting out the last word in disgust while Jiraiya watched in disapproval. There was a barely concealed pain in his dark eyes, though, a pain that Naruto felt growing in himself with each passing moment.

Jiraiya paused, then averted his sad, sad eyes and spoke again. "…If I leave, you'll be all alone, huh?"

Naruto felt himself stiffen, the pain in his chest abruptly rising even as he felt himself trying to reign it back in. "…That has nothing to do with this, Jiraiya-sama."

Jiraiya chuckled, but there wasn't even a hint of happiness involved. "Jiraiya-sama? What happened to Jii-chan?"

Naruto glared without knowing why. "I grew up. A long time ago."

"Pssh. You didn't grow up, Kashi-kun. You're still the same kid you always were."

The anger grew even worse, and Naruto found himself hating the old man even though he didn't even know him. "It's Kakashi. Not Kashi, and not anything-kun."

Jiraiya raised his eyebrows with a smirk. "Oh? Didn't Minato call you that?"

Naruto pressed his lips together and said nothing.

Jiraiya snorted. "Yeah. That's what I thought."

"Go after Orochimaru if you want, Sannin-dono. But Minato-sensei won't come back even if you bring him home. Tsunade's Dan and Nawaki won't come back even if you bring her home. …No one's coming back." His voice trailed off into a quiet despair, and Naruto found himself swallowing the sudden lump in his throat before he cleared his throat and continued. "You know what? I don't care. Go on. Leave. Skip _your student's_ funeral because you're too damn stuck up or whatever the hell repressed emotion you want to be to stay."

It was Jiraiya's turn to get angry. "Yeah, so says the kid who didn't go to his _own father's_ funeral."

The anger rose again and Naruto found himself wanting to hit him. "Don't you dare compare Sakumo and Sensei."

"Oh? Really? 'Sakumo' now? Since when were you on a first-name basis with your father? And I thought Obito taught you to stop-"

"_Sakumo was a coward!_ Sensei died for this village; _he_ died because he was a god damn coward! Sensei gave up everything to save the lives of every single damn person in this accursed village, and that includes yourself, and now you just want to leave like it didn't even matter, go on some stupid soul-searching shit and write your books and train someone else to die?! Like it wasn't enough that-"

"That's _enough_, Kakashi!" Jiraiya turned on him, slamming his fist down onto the table, and Naruto wanted to wither back and fade away at the raw power that seemed to emanate from his core, and suddenly, he didn't seem like a harmless old man anymore.

Naruto fell silent for a moment, and he felt his raw anger slowly calm into something controllable, something that wasn't so massive it was frightening. When he spoke again, his voice was no longer trembling with emotion and he didn't sound like a threat. He just sounded… almost like he was pleading.

"You have to stay, Jiraiya-sama. For his son."

Jiraiya blinked. All vestiges of anger drained away as he looked back at him in confusion and worry, a dark look in his eye. "What? Sandaime said no?" he asked, in what sounded like disbelief.

Naruto shook his head. "No. The council did."

Jiraiya crossed his arms gruffly and turned away, shaking his head in anger. "Those sons of bitches. Why? What could their _possible_ rationale be for-"

"I'm in ANBU," Naruto said, and his voice sounded almost bitter. "We lost too many shinobi in Kyuubi's attack. They can't afford to let one of their most feared ANBU resign because… because he 'wants to play daddy'. But, you, Jiraiya-sama… you could. The council won't dare try to order you away; not with your sensei still alive and being the Hokage. Please. If I can't help the kid… Minato-sensei always said that if… if something happened to him and Kushina, that he wanted y-you to…"

And then everything, the house, Jiraiya, the anger, the sadness it was all gone, replaced with a hard ball of unbearable loneliness curled up in his gut, loneliness and a grief that was so intense that it was hard to breathe, and-

"Everyone, pray for Namikaze Minato."

And then his eyes suddenly shut and the mass of sad faces and black vanished, leaving nothing but the sadness. He tried to open his eyes but couldn't. He felt an intense sadness build, along with the unbearable urge to cry.

Suddenly, his eyes opened once again and his head raised, and he stumbled up after a few old people Naruto didn't recognize, the Third, and that old man Jiraiya from earlier as they walked up to the open casket, and then he realized that it was a funeral, and he was about to see the dead man's face.

Naruto felt a cold horror congeal in his chest that, again, wasn't entirely his, growing even harder to breathe the closer he got to the dead man. Before he knew it, he was shaking, and then the Hokage moved on and it was his turn and he started walking and looking down.

The dead man was himself.

Naruto was staring down at _himself_.

And when he opened his mouth to scream, he did.

The sound of his own voice shocked him so much his panicked yell died in his throat as his eyes flew wide, and he twisted, looking around in utter confusion and fear. He was back in the forest, back in the forest with the masked man with the red and grey eyes, and there were no others, no dead bodies of _himself_, the cold loneliness wasn't threatening to suffocate him. He let out a relieved gasp, breathing hard, and resisted the sudden urge to vomit.

"Hey. H-hey. D-d-didn't mean t…to… scare y-you. M-my bad."

Naruto jumped at the same voice from before and twisted, his eyes widening when he saw it was the masked man who had spoken. He was still collapsed across the forest floor, but his red eye from before was closed, shut tight, and he looked up at him with only one normal, human eye. He coughed, and Naruto stared when a dark liquid stained his mask. He apologized shakily again as his grey eye crinkled up in a happy arc, almost like a smile, and he coughed again. "C-can you… get help? Please?"

Naruto just stared.

The man coughed again, his smile fading as he reached out, managing to grasp his ankle with a hand that was so hot it almost hurt. "Please. G-get… he…help."

It was when he coughed loudly again, blood clearly spraying the inside of his mask, that Naruto finally managed to move. "Oh my gosh, Mister, hang on! Hang on, I'll get help! Just stay right here!"

And when Naruto jumped to his feet and sprinted, he couldn't help but think the man had tried to comfort him. He'd actually _apologized_ for scaring him.

He hadn't glared at him and scorned him and hated him.

No one had ever apologized to him for anything before.

Naruto swallowed the lump in his throat and ran faster.


	2. Chapter 2

Thank you all for reviewing! And, to the reviewer who asked, no, Kakashi is not going to die. Meant to be a happy story, not a tragedy! So, anyway, this chapter is mostly filler/transition. Sorry, but it's necessary. Next time, Kakashi and Naruto will talk.

* * *

Naruto didn't have the slightest idea who was he going to run to for help, so it was probably a very good thing he ran face first into someone the moment he bounded out of the forest.

Shikamaru and Naruto both tumbled to the ground in a tangle of limbs, the Nara giving a loud grunt and shoving him away before he landed on his back, looking none too pleased about it. "Oi, Naruto!" he complained, glaring at him even as Naruto coughed and scrambled back to his feet, Shikamaru staying down. "What's the big idea?!"

"Guy- big, scary guy, in the woods," he panted, pointing over his shoulder and speaking so fast his words ran together. "Sick or something, I don't know- in trouble, ran into me, made me see things, oh my gosh they were so scary Shikamaru-"

Shikamaru groaned loudly at Naruto's ramblings and just rolled not to his side, gazing blandly at the clouds. "What a drag," he muttered under his breath as Naruto abruptly grabbed him by the wrist, flailing about and pointing and yelling.

"_Shikamaru!_ Why are you just laying down there! We have to help him! Come on, get up, get up! We have to help him, Shikamaru!"

"Huh? Help who?"

Naruto gave an exaggerated groan and stomped his foot again. "Haven't you been _listening?!_" he wailed. "There's this guy in the forest and he needs help! He had a weird dog mask and another weird mask and he was scary and-"

Shikamaru blinked. "Wait, what? A dog mask?"

"_Yes!_ It was some weird creepy dog mask. Anyway what does that have to do with anything he was hurt and who cares what kind of mask he was wearing and-"

Shikamaru tuned out Naruto's babble with a frown. A white animal mask? That sounded like…

"Shit! Naruto, come on. Follow me."

"Huh?"

Shaking his head, Shikamaru grabbed Naruto by the wrist and yanked him along. It was almost too much trouble to bring him as well, but Shikamaru had a feeling that he would just bug him forever if he didn't. Shaking his head at the thought, he tried to focus on the problem at hand. The hospital was almost four miles away, and he didn't strictly know the way, as he had never been there before, so that was out of the question. He had to find a chuunin or jounin- surely, one of them would know what to do with an injured ANBU- but none were likely to be hanging out around here…

Shikamaru gave a grim smile when his eyes alighted upon the Academy and he changed course, pulling Naruto along towards it. "Let me do all the talking, will you?"

Naruto blinked before his face contorted, and he pointed at him accusingly, eyes wide with anger. "Hey! You just wanna take credit for finding the big scary ninja guy! I won't let you take credit for that; I'm the one who found him!"

Shikamaru just sighed. Now, even if he tried to talk fist, with Naruto's constant interruptions, it would take even longer. He wasn't even sure now why he had gotten himself involved…

_ANBU, remember? If he's ANBU and he's hurt, things could be very serious. And if I just left Naruto to it, the guy probably would've died before any help came._

Oh, right. He did have a good reason.

Shikamaru rounded the corner and ran straight into Iruka's classroom, Naruto in tow, both panting slightly and the blond now fighting to get in front of his companion, eager to tell the story first. Shikamaru let him, mostly because he didn't care enough to stop him and knew it would be over faster if just let Naruto get what he wanted. "Oh! Iruka-sensei! I get it! You're smart, Shikamaru!"

Iruka just looked between the two of them from his desk with a wary look in his eye. "Yes, Naruto? Shikamaru? What do you ne-"

"Oh my gosh Iruka-sensei it's awful! There's this scary guy and he was hurt and he had two eyes and one was red and scary and made me see stuff then he told me to got help and ran over here and then Shikamaru came and then we-"

"Naruto, I don't have the slightest idea what you're saying."

Shikamaru just groaned. _This is really all too troublesome… _"Naruto ran into an ANBU in the forest. Apparently, he's hurt. Real bad. Naruto and I aren't big enough to get him back here ourselves."

Iruka's eyes widened and his lips parted in surprise. He sat there for a moment, stunned, then stood immediately and headed for the door. "An ANBU? Are you sure?"

Shikamaru shrugged and leaned back against the wall, intertwining his fingers behind his head. "Well, Naruto said he had a white dog mask"

Iruka pursed his lips. "This is bad. Naruto, show me where… hold on. You just happened to stumble upon an injured ANBU? Really… don't tell me this one of your pranks."

Naruto looked positively betrayed. "Wha? Iruka-sensei! This isn't a prank! The guy was really hurt and _really_ scary and he had a freaky red eye and I don't know what an ANBU is but I promise it's not a prank, he was just too big for me to carry back myself and I-"

"I swear, Naruto, you will regret it if this a joke. It's not funny. Now, come on; show me where you found him."

Shikamaru merely watched as Naruto just bounded out of the classroom, Iruka on his heels.

* * *

Naruto watched numbly as Iruka deposited the now unconscious ninja onto a hospital gurney, allowing medics to swarm in around them and begin examining their newest patient. "Hatake Kakashi, ANBU," Iruka panted, pushing a strand of hair back behind his ear. "He's the one with the Sharingan. Probably poisoned. Fevered and delusional when we found him, then passed out."

Naruto's eyes widened in surprise even as one of the medics nodded and began to follow as the injured ninja was whisked away. "Thanks for the info. We got it from here, shinobi-san."

Iruka merely nodded as the medic left, leaving him and Naruto standing alone in the middle of the waiting room, Iruka's vest covered in wet, dark blood. Naruto turned to look up at his sensei in awe, even as Iruka shook his head wearily and made to leave, gesturing for Naruto follow. "Iruka-sensei?"

"It's good you found him, Naruto, and went to get help. But, next time? Alert a medic, not an old sensei like me." Iruka shook his head helplessly with an awkward smile, seeming a bit tired by the sudden excitement of saving a man's life. "Come on. Let's go."

"Wait, wait- how did you know his name? And what's a Sharingan? And I _still_ don't know what ANBU is!"

Iruka chuckled. "Okay, okay, one question at a time. I knew his name because I recognized him. Well, his scar. Most ninja know who he is, to be honest with you, if by title and not by name."

"Huh?"

Iruka glanced down at his stupefied expression and had to resist the urge to laugh again. "Sharingan no Kakashi," he explained. "The Sharingan is a special eye… kind of like Hinata's Byakugon. It's what he's known for. ANBU is… a really, really good ninja. Even better than jounin."

Naruto brightened at that. "Really? I'm gonna be one someday, then! I'm gonna be an ANBU!"

With another chuckle, Iruka reached down to jokingly ruffle his sunny hair and opened his mouth to give a noncommittal agreement- but someone else spoke first.

"You? In ANBU? Yeah, as if. The Hokage would never be so stupid as to endanger the village like that."

Naruto turned in the direction of the voice to find another man with a white, porcelain animal mask staring down at him, a gloved hand on his hip. He winced at the ever familiar hostility in the voice and took a small step back, but the ninja moved forward and pointed down at him. "I'm onto you, you brat. There's no way in hell you just 'found' Hound, and he'd never be so stupid as to ask the likes of _you _for help. You're the one who hurt him, aren't you? It was you!"

Naruto suddenly found it hard to breathe.

"Leave him alone," Iruka abruptly snapped, moving fiercely to stand in front of him. He didn't push the ninja back, but his voice was trembling with the weight of so much anger that Naruto was almost surprised the man didn't move away. "ANBU-san, I don't know who attacked _Hound_, but it wasn't Naruto. He's nothing but a _pre-genin_, right? If you think he's really just some kind of a monster, perhaps you should talk to the Hokage about it instead of spewing idle threats and accusing him of something he couldn't possibly have done."

The ANBU's expression was hidden, but Naruto was sure his eyes would've narrowed in hate by the end of Iruka's speech. His voice was low and deadly when he replied without hesitation. "You watch who you're talking to, _chuunin_-san."

Iruka's expression didn't waver as his hand found its way to Naruto's shoulder and rested on it protectively, though he didn't once look away from the ANBU. "I know who I'm talking to. I'm talking to an over-zealous ninja who's greatly overstepped his authority. Unless you seriously want to accuse Naruto of _assaulting and incapacitating_ your ANBU friend, then leave him alone."

"Who do you think you are, ordering me around, Umino? You haven't been on a mission in months; all you do is bring up moronic pre-genin brats. Sorry excuse for a ninja, if you ask me."

"At least my job doesn't leave me to reading other people's files for a social life, ANBU-san," he retorted. "Now, kindly leave us. Unless you still have something to say to Naruto?"

Naruto flinched as the ANBU turned to look down at him again, and he found himself very glad for the mask, because he wasn't sure he wanted to see what the man's expression looked like. He paused for a split second, then shook his head. "Just watch yourself, kid." Then he vanished in a whirl of wind and leaves.

Naruto bit his lip and glanced up at Iruka, who was staring at the spot where ANBU had been with a peculiar look of aggravation and distress on his face. After a long moment passed in silence, he grabbed Naruto's hand with more force than necessary and tried to pull him out of the hospital. "Come on. We should go."

"Hey, wait!" Naruto exclaimed, pulling his hand back and trying to stay. "Wait- is that guy going to be okay? Uh, Kakashi?"

Iruka blinked in surprise. "…Probably. ANBU don't die easily. Why?"

Naruto bit his lip. "I just.. he was nice." _Not to mention he showed me my own funeral. _

"Huh? All you said on the way to find him was that he was scary."

He shrugged, flustered. "Well, yeah, but I don't think he meant to be. He apologized for being scary, anyway. His eye was really the freaky part."

Iruka watched him carefully for a moment, his eyes unreadable. Finally, his features rearranged themselves into a smile, and the Academy sensei led him forward into the waiting room. "I suppose we can stay, find out if he's okay. There's no harm in that, ne?"

Naruto nodded happily as Iruka lightly pushed him down into a chair and sat beside him. His smile quickly dropped, though, when Iruka looked down at him and warned, "Just keep away from any other ANBU you see here. Anyone with a white animal mask, okay?"

"But… why?"

Iruka looked away, gazing off blankly into the distance as if he wasn't entirely fixated in the here and now. With a frown, he muttered, "Because they'll probably act like that other one. And I don't fancy getting in arguments with some of the deadliest ninja our village has to offer."

Naruto bit his lip again at the mention of the earlier ANBU. He hugged himself and brought his knees up to his chest, glaring sullenly at a leaf left from when the ANBU had disappeared. "Jerk. Why did he think I hurt Kakashi? I don't even know him! Why… why does everyone-"

"Naruto, it's okay. ANBU are paranoid, that's it." Iruka's reply was a bit too rushed, a bit too forced, as was his small smile. "One of them once attacked me- here, in Konoha- because he thought I was following him. Nearly killed me. So don't worry about what they think. They'd be paranoid of a rabbit if it looked at them the wrong way."

"Hmph." Naruto's lowered lip slipped into a petulant pout, and he continued to glower at the leaf. He didn't know what to believe. On one hand, that ANBU's voice had sounded just as cruel and spiteful as everyone else in the village. Just as hateful for no reason at all. But, on the other- ANBU couldn't be_ all_ bad. Kakahsi had been nice. He'd apologized, he hadn't glared at him… but the things that red eye had made him see had been painful. The sadness had been so real it hurt, and then there was the fact that he'd found himself looking at his own dead body…

It should've scared him, and it had, when he'd first seen it. But now, he found himself caught up in a morbid fascination to know more. The man had smiled at him and apologized; while Naruto wouldn't have put it past half the village to show him those nightmarish visions just for fun, he didn't think that's what the injured ANBU had been doing.

Why had the man shown him his own funeral? Did Kakashi know him? That seemed to be the only explanation, but… Naruto never remembered seeing him before in his life.

He needed to know more.


	3. Chapter 3

Thank you all for reviewing! One more chapter after this, and yes, there will be a happy ending. And I've already started writing oneshots that take place in this universe, so, be on the lookout for those. They will be posted in THIS story, not as separate ones. As I said last chapter, Parental!Kakashi and Kakanaru is very fun to write. Do not own this fic's new cover.

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"But that's stupid!" Naruto protested, fighting to pull his arm out of Iruka's grip. "He's hurt! Why are they making him give his mission report now? That's just mean!"

Sighing, Iruka effortlessly held Naruto in place, stopping him from bursting into the hospital room. Naruto would probably end up as a kunai pincushion if he did. "It's ANBU business, Naruto. Who knows what kind of mission he had? It could've been something vital for village. They need his report," Iruka told him gently.

"But… wow, that is_ so_ cool." Naruto's eyes widened in awe as he looked towards the hospital room, now very excited. "Iruka-sensei, what do you think his mission was? Maybe he was escorting a king! Or fighting a dragon! Ooh, ooh, maybe saving a princess! Wow, that is just _so cool!_" Naruto's cheeks were flushing adorably in his eagerness.

Iruka chuckled as Naruto continued his gushing. It probably wasn't a good idea to tell Naruto that such missions were really nothing but fantasy, and that it could've been nothing more glamorous than a scouting mission. Instead, he took the opportunity to inspire and teach, because he was nothing, if not a good teacher. "Yeah, it is, Naruto. Work really hard, and you could be doing things like that someday."

"I will! You better believe it, Iruka-sensei!" Naruto's grin broadened and he clapped his hands together in excitement. "I know! I don't need to graduate; I can take on a mission like that right now! Where's the Hokage? He'll give me a super cool mission like that, I know he-"

"Naruto," Iruka admonished, waving his finger at him. "I don't think that's a good idea."

"Why _not?!_ I would be so awesome!"

"…Because, maybe, the mission would require you to make a clone. And you still can't do that, can you?" Iruka playfully ruffled Naruto's hair as his student's pout just grew more pronounced, and he slouched back against the wall, arms crossed. He huffed and muttered something under his breath. Iruka laughed, letting his hand fall down to rest on his shoulder.

"It's not my fault," Naruto muttered. "I just don't like that jutsu. It's hard."

"Well, Sasuke seems pretty good at it."

Naruto looked like he was about to stick his tongue out just to spite him. "Sasuke-teme? He's annoying! So popular; thinks he's all that. I'm a better ninja than he is."

Iruka just smiled.

It was then that the door to Kakashi's hospital room opened to reveal two cloaked members of ANBU, one holding a scroll. They exited quickly and swept down the hallway with a swirl of their heavy black cloaks, white animals masks just as blank and creepy as before. Naruto resisted the urge to shiver, then pulled his hand out of Iruka's and pointed at the door. "Well, Sensei? Can I go in now?"

Iruka shrugged and gestured forward. He didn't know why Naruto was so set on seeing Kakashi, but he seemed adamant in doing so, and Iruka couldn't see the harm in it.

Naruto hurried forward and quickly opened the door, trying to ignore the trepidation building up in his stomach. He wanted answers, and this was how to get them. Besides, Kakashi seemed nice; everything would be fine.

"…scaring us half to death, which seems to be a talent of yours."

"Maa, it wasn't even my blood. They all just overreacted."

Naruto blinked and lingered in the doorway. Kakashi already had a visitor; quite an intimidating one, at that. He towered over Naruto at almost six feet tall, a navy blue bandana tied around his woodsy brown hair. His eyes, the same color of his hair, were narrowed in annoyance and pointedly directed at Kakashi. A senbon twitched irritably in his mouth as he ground his teeth in frustration.

He was leaning with his back against the wall and his arms crossed, looking none too happy. "Yeah. Overreaction. Right, Senpai. According to you, it would be an overreaction to take you to the hospital if half your organs were hanging out."

There was a light chuckle in response. The tall man raised his head to the doorway, as if he'd known Naruto was there all along but just now acknowledged him. He tensed when his eyes met Naruto's blue gaze, and glared into the questioning eyes. Jerking his head towards Naruto standing in the doorway, he stated in a bland tone, "Kakashi-senpai."

Naruto jumped, startled, and then glanced over at the bed. Kakashi was propped up on some pillows, his hair an even greater mess than usual, and he was wearing a black sleeveless top and his trademark mask. Naruto was relieved to see no sign of any strange red eye; nothing but the scar bisecting it. The one opened grey eye widened in recognition, and Kakashi glanced back at the other man.

"Genma, please give us a moment alone." It was phrased as a request, but Genma's narrowed eyes indicated that he knew a command when he heard one. He was slightly confused as to the reason, but slowly shrugged and acquiesced.

"Sure thing, Senpai."

"Stop calling me that."

"Yes _Senpai_," Genma lengthened that particular word purposefully, enjoying the other man's irritation. He inclined his head slightly in mock respect, and swept out of the door. While he ignored Naruto's small frame clutching the side of the door, he brushed against him none too gently.

Naruto stumbled forward into the room as Genma shut the door behind him. He was alone with Kakashi. Shuffling his feet nervously, Naruto could not meet Kakashi's eyes. The ANBU tilted his head to side, scrutinizing the boy carefully. "Do you need something?"

"Um…" Naruto trailed off uncertainly. He wanted very much to know about Kakashi's unsual eye, but could not bring himself to ask. He started the query, but his courage deserted him midway. "Kakashi, why did your eye- I- _I mean_… you, er... why are you still wearing that mask? I thought ANBUs only wore one mask… at least, that's what Iruka-sensei said."

Kakashi shook his head slightly and tugged on the edge of the cloth. "He's right. But this isn't an ANBU mask. It's just special."

"Oh." Naruto visibly deflated and anxiously clasped his hands behind his back. He resumed shuffling his feet, shifting his weight from one foot to the other. What was he supposed to say? "Um…"

Luckily, it was Kakashi who broke the silence. "I guess it wasn't a hallucination that you found me, huh, Naruto?"

"What?" Naruto blinked, looking directly at Kakashi in his shock. "How do you know my name?!"

Kakashi chuckled again. "Special jounin here. I know a lot of things."

"But… but-"

"Look, I'm fine, if that's what you're here to find out." He interlocked his fingers behind his head and leaned back against the headboard with a lazy sigh, blinking up at the ceiling. "Maa, I guess it's not. I was a bit too instinctive with the use of my Sharingan back there."

"…Huh?"

Kakashi's eye curved up in a smile and he shook his head ruefully. "I apologize. I didn't mean to scare you."

"Wha…" Naruto pointed his fingers at him accusingly and snapped, "You didn't mean to scare me? You showed me my own funeral! You made me think I was going to die!"

"What?" Kakashi waved his hand placatingly and smiled, shaking his head. "I admit, I showed you some pretty unsavory things, but it could've been worse. And I certainly did _not_ show you your own funeral. What are you talking about?"

"You did too!" Naruto protested angrily. "It was a funeral, and the Hokage was there and a bunch of other people, and then I walked up to the casket- well, I didn't _want_ to, but I couldn't stop for some reason, and then I was the one in there, and it was really freaky, and-"

"Hold it, hold it. That wasn't you."

"_Yes_ it_ was!_"

Kakashi gave a resigned sigh and paused, looking at him in an odd way that made Naruto shiver. After a long moment, he reached up and lightly tapped his scarred eyelid. "No, it wasn't, Naruto. I'll prove it. If you'll let me, I'll show it to you again. This time, take a closer look at him. Okay?"

Naruto hesitated, instantly unsure. He glanced at the closed eye and took an involuntary step back, biting his lip. "I… no way. It was weird. I felt really sad, and I didn't know why, and I couldn't control anything, and-"

"Now that I'm actually not about to pass out, I can assure you that it won't be quite as unpleasant of an experience. I was actually making you see my memories, earlier. I can taper it this time, so you won't feel my emotions as well.

Naruto hesitated again. On one hand, he wanted to be sure Kakashi wasn't some kind of freaky fortune-teller who had foretold his death or anything. But, on the other, he wasn't exactly keen to experience that creepy, out-of-body sensation that red eye had made him go through before. "I don't know… it was really weird last time."

Kakashi's eye curved up in a smile again. "That's only because I wasn't exactly intending to show you anything… you just look a lot like someone I used to know, and it confused me for a moment. That's all." He scratched the back of his head awkwardly and shrugged. "Of course, it's entirely up to you. If you don't care, then-"

"No! I still think that was me in that creepy memory or whatever it was, but…"

Kakashi sighed. "It's fine if don't want to. I've scared plenty of ninja away from ever looking at me again with this thing. I wouldn't expect a pre-genin to just jump back into-"

"Oi! I'm not a coward!" Naruto stepped forward and defiantly crossed his arms, glaring at him. "I'm a super great ninja who's going to become Hokage someday! Don't just diss my skills because of some little technicality like not graduating or anything!"

"Oh. My mistake. I didn't realize I was speaking with a super great ninja. So, you'll look, then?" he asked brightly, and Naruto couldn't help but feel insulted by the obvious sarcasm.

In his desire to prove the man wrong, Naruto nodded with a lot more bravado than he felt. He glared at Kakashi boldly. "Yeah. Go on, hit me."

"Alright. Don't say I didn't warn you." Kakashi took a deep breath and flickered his grey eye shut. Immediately, the other eye snapped open. The black symbols started to spin, just like before, and Naruto found himself entranced, unable to look away, unable to do anything…

He was staring down at his own corpse again.

Naruto felt the hairs on the back of his neck rise. His instinct to jump back was greeted with the uncomfortable sensation of immobility. However, he felt no crippling sadness. Suddenly, Kakashi's cheery voice echoed eerily around the dreamscape.

"See? It's not you. No whisker marks on his cheeks, ne?"

Naruto willed himself to examine the body more carefully, and, sure enough, there were no whisker marks. However, the man still bore an uncanny resemblance to himself… maybe whisker marks faded with age? Naruto still felt rather uncomfortable.

"I told you, Naruto. Minato-sensei here just reminded me a lot of you; that's why I showed you memories concerning him. ...But, I can feel that you're not convinced. Perhaps, I should show you another memory? One when he's a bit more conscious? If it's all right with you. "

Naruto was getting irritated by the tacked-on queries to Naruto's well-being. He could sense that it wasn't naturally in the other man's personality to ask about the welfare of others. Putting the feeling aside, Naruto wondered how exactly was he was supposed to tell Kakashi that yes, it _was_ okay with him, he wasn't a wuss. He wanted to know more about this man who looked so much like himself-

Kakashi's voice echoed out again. "Okay, good. Just relax, and..."

The body vanished, and Naruto felt the now recognizable disorientation of the memory abruptly changing to another. This time, it was the familiar blond sitting on a couch, his head in his hands, a woman with striking red hair sitting next to him and rubbing his back comfortingly, with Jiraiya standing off to the side and looking entirely amused by the entire situation.

"I don't know what I'm supposed to do... she's never been this mad at me." The man's voice was certainly not his own; it was lower and calmer and oddly relaxing. Naruto felt an unusual instant trust in this man.

The redhead winced in sympathy. "Well... Minato, to be honest, it's entirely your fault."

Naruto would've jolted in surprise if he could have. Minato? So, the man's name _was_ actually Minato…

Minato just groaned, his voice muffled by his hands. "That doesn't help, Kushina."

"Poor baby," she responded amusedly. "Wait, hold on... It can be Kakashi's fault, too!"

Naruto felt his lips shape into words, and he uttered in a voice not his own, "How, exactly?"

Kushina grinned triumphantly. "Because, here you are, getting Rin that fantastic present- that makes my husband just look even worse!"

"It was a book."

Kushina rolled her eyes. "Well, she seemed to love it!"

"That's because Rin's in love with Kakashi," Jiraiya cut in with a knowing look. "He could give her a pile of dirt and she'd be absolutely overjoyed."

Naruto felt himself shift a bit and rub the side of his neck. "I don't think so..."

This whole out-of-own-body experience was still very disconcerting, he thought privately.

"See, Kashi-kun here knows nothing of the tenacious and wild female. Unlike me, of course. Minato, I tell you, just give her a copy of my book! Any woman would forgive you in an instant, and-"

Kushina smacked Jiraiya upside the head with a practiced motion and a glare. Naruto found himself feeling a slight hint of amusement - of Kakashi's amusement? The emotions seemed to overlap - when she snapped, "No one reads your dirty porn, Jiraiya! And Rin would gut him if he gave her that!"

Jiraiya winced, rubbing the site of his new injury. However, even the fear of the redhead's wrath couldn't stop him from muttering, "Kakashi likes them."

"They're for visualization training," Kakashi answered smoothly, but even the quick reply wasn't enough to dispel Kushina's furious look in his direction.

"I hate that habit of yours, Kakashi. You'll never get yourself a girlfriend with that attitude."

"Can we please focus on my problem here?"

Kakashi turned back so Naruto could see Minato still slumped over on the couch, seeming depressed and miserable. Kushina went back to his side and patted him awkwardly on the back, seeming without any idea of how to comfort him. "Look, Minato... women just don't like it when you forget their birthday!"

"I'm sorry! I'm really sorry, you know I am. But her birthday was on the same day that I was proctoring the finals of the Chuunin Exam. I kept thinking I was forgetting something... but I can't fix it now that I have! Rin hates me."

Kushina grinned. "No, she doesn't. She's just a little upset now, understandably, but she'll get over it. You're her sensei, you know. Your kids all love you. Even stubborn, little emotionally-stunted Kakashi here."

Naruto felt Kakashi shift a bit with uncertainty, and even more of this odd, pleasurable feeling that he couldn't quite place leaked through as all the eyes in the room turned to him.

And now that Minato had raised his head, Naruto could see that, while his eyes were the same brilliant shade of dark blue, Minato's were smaller than his. Naruto was starting to feel like a bit of an idiot for mistaking Minato as himself.

Minato pushed lightly at Kushina's shoulder, giving a broad grin. "Stop it; you're embarrassing him."

"No, she's not," Jiraiya chuckled. "If we wanted to embarrass him, then we'd talk about the time when that weird boy Gai got him drunk. Wasn't it karaoke night at the bar?"

Kushina laughed uproariously, prompting Naruto's embarrassment to rise, along with the heat in his cheeks. "He kept trying to sing as Minato pulled him outside! He was so out of it he couldn't remember the words, though, so he stared making up his own- didn't it end up being a song about-"

"There was no song. Ever. No song, no karaoke night, no anything."

"Aw, Kakashi, come on! You're no fun."

Naruto really, really wanted to smile. Kakashi's emotions were steadily growing stronger, easier for him to feel, and they made him glad. It was hard to describe... it wasn't necessarily happiness... it was a foreign feeling to him, one he didn't think he had ever felt before.

It took him a moment to realize that it was contentment.

With the surprise that came along with understanding what exactly he was feeling came a sudden dizziness. The memory blurred and dulled, and the contentment abruptly vanished, what he'd been able to feel of Kakashi's emotions disappearing, and Kakashi's voice echoed around the memory again.

"I'm going to release the genjutsu now. Stay calm."

The vision of the dead man blurred and fragmented, the shards drifting apart to reveal the bland hospital room again. Naruto gasped, while Kakashi shifted a bit uncomfortably. "Sorry. I let myself get a bit carried away..."

Naruto just stared at him, still reeling.

"Well, did you get my point, at least?"

He gulped. "Um… well…"

Kakashi chuckled. "Don't worry. Just a misunderstanding, ne?"

Naruto relaxed a bit, feeling somewhat like an idiot. He had completely overreacted.

He had completely overreacted, and yet Kakashi didn't seem angry. Normally if he dared to accuse any other civilian of anything, he'd be surrounded and hit before he could think twice. But it hadn't seemed to have bothered Kakashi at all.

He grinned, on instinct. "Thanks."

Kakashi shrugged. "Don't mention it. Now, is there something else you needed? Because I kind of had an escape plan to get to…"

"Um, well… hey. Did that Jiraiya guy come to the funeral?"

Kakashi's eye widened for a split second in surprise before he regained his usual indifferent expression. "I showed you that, too? Well, no. He didn't."

"Oh." Naruto shifted his weight again. "I'm sorry… it seemed like you really wanted him to be there."

Kakashi just smiled. "Maa, he had his reasons. He went to go look for a friend."

"Did he at least find him?"

"Well… no. As far as I know, he's still looking. And he left ten years ago."

Naruto's eyes widened. "You're kidding! That's how old I am."

"Yeah, I know."

Suddenly, another bit of information from the memories struck him. "Hey! If that Jiraiya person left, what happened to the kid you were talking about? Minato's son, I think? You said something about him needing a home…?"

Kakashi's smile fell instantly. His eye downcast, the ninja turned away from him, hands clasped loosely in front of him. "…He's still alive. But a lot of things that he didn't deserve happened to him. Honestly, I don't think his father would be very pleased with how things turned out."

Naruto frowned at the sudden change in his voice. Instead of being lighthearted and cheerful, it had abruptly dropped to become bland, almost morose, and his eye was no longer fully alert and curved in a smile. His shoulders slumped, and Naruto watched in surprise as Kakashi crossed his legs, resting his head on his hands, gazing blankly at the wall.

"Hey, what's wrong? Why'd you get sad all of a sudden?"

Kakashi raised an eyebrow without looking at him. "Mmm? Oh, I'm just thinking."

"About?"

Kakashi shrugged limply. "Nothing, really. Just the kid."

"Why don't you talk to him?"

"Maa, it's too late, now. He's been on his own for a while; doesn't have any use for a guy like me." His eye curved up in a smile again, but it looked pained.

Naruto hesitated. "Well, I mean… you had a reason for why you couldn't help this kid, right?"

Kakashi shrugged again, sending his eye skyward. "Oh, sure. It's more of an excuse than anything, though. The council knew I wouldn't be easy to control, so they assigned me a long S-rank. Was a scouting missions set to last for four years… things got a bit out of control, ended up lasting for six. By the time I finally came back to Konoha, this boy was already enrolled in the Ninja Academy."

Naruto's eyes widened. "Really?! He's in the Academy, too?! Maybe he's in my class!"

For some reason, Kakashi found this funny. He grinned happily and nodded, still gazing at the wall. "Ah, maybe."

"Well, anyway, it looks like you had a pretty good reason. Why don't you talk to him? I mean, I'd be pretty mad if I found out there was this guy who was supposed to look after me and he shows so late, but I'd be okay with it. Eventually, anyway. Now that I think about it, it'd be cool to go home at night and not be alone. And have someone to teach me stuff… like how to cook! And- oh! Sorry." Naruto rubbed the back of his head, embarrassed. "I, uh, got carried away. Sorry."

He blinked, realizing Kakashi was looking at him strangely. His one grey eye was wide in surprise, his head tilted to the side, and he looked like he was on the verge of saying something, but he didn't quite know what exactly he wanted to do.

"Hey, you're looking at me weird, dattebayo."

Kakashi stared at him for another moment, then laughed quietly and looked away. "You know, Naruto, you remind me more of your mother than your father. And that's including how much you look like him."

Naruto's jaw fell open.

Kakashi glanced back at him, elbows resting on his knees, gaze shaded by a few thick spikes of silver hair. His eye was curved up in a hesitant smile.

"Y-you…"

Kakashi gave a little one-handed wave. "Yep. You're _that kid,_ Naruto."

The floor was suddenly a lot closer than before.

A hard, muscly arm stopped him from face planting. He blinked in surprise, letting Kakashi stand him upright again. "Woah. Don't faint on me, ne?"

He stared up at Kakashi in shock, and the jounin grinned, still holding him by the shoulder in case he fell again. Naruto trembled.

Ten years of nothing. Of no one who cared, of hateful glares and not a single person who would've even noticed if he'd died. Ten years of _nothing_...

And here was Kakashi. Out of nowhere, there was finally someone- someone who knew him and someone who_ cared._ Someone else like Iruka. He had someone else.

This knowledge was like a breath of fresh air. It was like a huge weight had been taken off his chest, and he felt almost like he was floating. The relief was just so intense and he almost couldn't stop smiling.

And then something clicked.

"Four years."

"Huh?"

"Four years." First, he repeated it in a hoarse whisper, but then it abruptly became a yell. "You bastard, you said you had a six year mission! But I'm ten! What about those other four years, huh? Why didn't you say anything to me until now?!"

Kakashi backed up, waving his hands in a conciliatory fashion as if trying to calm him. "Look, I didn't exactly think it'd be welcome-"

"I didn't have _anyone,_ you bastard!" Naruto yelled. "Just the Hokage who would come by with money once a month and that's it! And you just-"

"I was ordered to keep my distance, Naruto. And, besides, ANBU kept me on a tight leash until two years ago; the only time I was in the village for more than a month was when I was hospitalized. What was I supposed to do, waltz into your life and then, just as easily, waltz out when I had a mission? I was gone for months at a time! You didn't need someone like that."

"_So?!_" Naruto snapped, frustrated. "That doesn't matter, damn it! That's just an excuse! Why didn't you ever do anything?! I was… I was so alone and-"

"Naruto, I-"

"_What_ is going on in here?!"

Naruto spun on his heel to see a nurse standing in the doorway, her hands planted on her hips, her eyes narrowed in fury. Naruto turned to point accusingly at Kakashi, then stared.

The jounin was gone.

"Wha…"

His gaze was drawn to the open window.


	4. Chapter 4

Thank you all for reviewing! Last chapter. And, just so you know, this universe is not going to wind up with a superpowered/genius!Naruto. I hate those stories. He'll progress at the same rate that he did in the show. Just because he has a teacher now doesn't mean he's suddenly going to become ridiculously overpowered; come on, after three years with Jiraiya, Naruto had a better sense of strategy, a new type of Rasengan- he didn't come back as a god with the ability to lay Zabuza and Haku out on their asses, as I've seen happen way too many times. Well... I digress. Anyway, here we go! Last chapter, though other oneshots will be posted in this same story.

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Naruto glared stubbornly as the half-formed, weak, pathetic excuse for a clone vanished and forced his hands together in the seal again. "Baka Kakashi," he muttered angrily, then closed his eyes, trying to force another clone.

When it looked even worse than the last one did, he swore loudly and slammed his fist onto the floor. "Why won't you work, stupid?!'

"You're using too much Chakra."

Naruto jumped at the sudden voice and spun around, staring at the figure perched in open window as nonchalantly as possible. He waved at him and smiled. "Yo."

Naruto stared, shocked, for a long moment before he jumped to his feet and pointed at him accusingly. "You! What the hell are you doing here?"

Kakashi shrugged. "You didn't let me explain myself earlier. Minato-sensei would be disappointed in me if I just gave up that easily."

"What… and, anyway, I have a door!"

"So?"

Naruto sighed, exasperated. "So why are you in the _window?!_"

Kakashi tilted his head to side in confusion. He looked around at his precarious perch in the window and glanced back at Naruto. "This is how I normally enter." Without waiting for an invitation, he slid inside and landed lightly on his feet, then leaned back against the wall, slipping his hands into his pockets.

Naruto glared as Kakashi made himself at home. It should be pretty obvious that he wasn't welcome here. "Are you just going to stand there until you get whatever it is that you want?"

"Maa, pretty much."

Naruto had to stop himself from hitting the infuriating man. He glowered at him for a moment, then crossed his arms stubbornly and looked away. "Fine, whatever, you jerk. Ask away."

"I didn't really come here to ask questions, so much as answer them."

"I don't have anything to ask you! I know everything I need to know!"

Kakashi shrugged. "Maa, you said yourself you wouldn't be too angry, before you found out that you were the kid I was talking about."

Deciding the man wasn't going to leave, Naruto stubbornly sat back on the ground and turned his back to Kakashi, forming a seal with his hands. "That was before I knew the truth. _Bunshin!_"

Naruto would have really preferred for a dramatic display of at least one, but preferably more, clones, ones that were perfectly functional and could show up Kakashi. So his cheeks burned when all that happened was the brief appearance of a pathetic little creature before it poofed out of existence.

"Oi, oi. You're using too much Chakra."

Naruto glared over his shoulder before returning back to his task. "What do you know," he muttered under his breath. "Iruka-sensei says I'm not using enough."

"Well, that's because he works with eight year olds all day. With people of your size and training, that most often is the problem. But you're a bit… different."

In spite of himself, Naruto glanced back at him, and he forgot to make his glare quite as hateful as before. "What are you talking about?"

Kakashi tapped his red eye, which was open now, but not quite as creepy when it wasn't spinning or trying to hypnotize him. "This is good for more than just scaring people. I can tell how much Chakra you're using to perform the technique, and it's too much. It's not in the right balance and most of it just ends up being wasted. Try and tone it down a bit. …Or a lot."

"But Iruka-sensei said-"

"Come on, trust me. Just this once, ne?"

Naruto hesitated, then turned back around and huffed, even as he put his hands together in the seal again. This time, instead of focusing on pouring all of his energy into the technique, he concentrated on only releasing a trickle.

He closed his eyes tightly, trying to focus, and then put the energy into use. He cracked his eyes open, hopeful, then slumped when he saw the same pathetic excuse for a clone as before.

Kakashi chuckled lightly. "Okay, now you're not using enough energy. Hmm… here." He pushed himself off the wall and knelt next to him, pushing his hands together in the seal again. "Have you guys learned about sensing someone else's Chakra yet?"

Naruto looked at him like he'd just grown a second head.

"Okay, guess not. I guess you can't watch me and do by example. Well, how about this? I'm going to give you the Chakra, and all you have to do is use it to make a clone. Be careful not to draw on any of your own energy. Once you've gotten a feel for how much energy to use, you can try it yourself."

Naruto looked at him doubtfully. "I don't know… sounds kind of weird."

"Weirder than my eye?"

He had a valid point there. "I guess not."

Kakashi grinned cheerfully. "Okay. And, I'm not a medic, so I can't guarantee that it won't hurt a little. And it will definitely feel strange. But if you just use my energy to make a clone, it'll be fine. Now, close your eyes and focus."

Naruto hesitantly acquiesced, then wondered a split second later why he had. If anyone else in the village had asked him to close his eyes, he probably would've been met with a fist to the face a moment later. He flinched, almost expecting the pain, and when it came, he nearly tore himself away from Kakashi's hands.

But it didn't feel like he'd been hit. It felt like pins and needles, except under his flesh. Like Kakashi had somehow wormed his way under his skin and started poking him with a tiny sword, but with the uncomfortable sensation came a rush of unfamiliar energy. He almost put it to use right away, but Kakashi's voice stopped him.

"Don't use it yet. Remember, focus on how much I'm using, so you can replicate it yourself."

Surprised, Naruto nodded and kept his eyes closed, focusing on the amount of the energy. He had never actually thought about it before; just tried to make himself use more. But now that he concentrated on it… it was certainly less than he _had_ been using. In fact, it barely felt like a fraction of what he'd been trying to use.

"This isn't that much!" he exclaimed, surprised.

"Right? Now, use it."

"Oh, yeah, that part. Okay." He focused and, a moment later, felt the energy vanish as it went into making the clone. He cracked an eye open to stare at the fruits of his labor, then grinned broadly.

Before him stood another Kakashi, along with the one who still crouched beside him. It was a perfect clone in every detail, and it gave a little wave before vanishing with a poof, much to Naruto's disappointment. "Hey! Why did it look like you? And why did it vanish?"

Kakashi chuckled. "It looked like me because it was my Chakra, not yours. And I dispelled it. Think you got it? Try on your own, now?"

Naruto nodded emphatically and formed the seal, closing his eyes again. "Yeah! I'll show you; I can do it!"

Kakashi said nothing, allowing him to focus on the clone. He tried to replicate the amount of energy Kakashi had used and it was surprisingly hard; it felt like he wasn't using anywhere near enough and kept having to stop himself from using more. Finally, convinced he had gotten it right, he released the technique and hesitantly opened his eyes again.

In front of him was a perfectly formed, perfectly functional, Naruto clone.

Naruto gasped in delight. "Hey… hey! I got it! Cooooool!" He jumped to his feet and hurried forward, inspecting the clone for any flaws and was even further shocked when he found one. "Oh my god! I never gotten it before! This is so cool! _Ha!_ Wait till Sakura-chan sees! Now I'm better than Sasuke-teme!"

Kakashi grinned lazily and shrugged. "Maa, you just needed a little direction."

Naruto clapped his hands together and almost jumped in excitement. "Wait until Iruka-sensei sees! He'll be so surprised! And Sakura-chan will be impressed and no one will care about Sasuke-teme anymore; I'll be the popular one! Thanks, Kakashi-niisa-"

Naruto cut himself off when he realized the honorific he'd been about to use, and Kakashi's single grey eye widened in surprise. Naruto coughed, lowering his head and scratching the back at his hair in embarrassment. "Um… well, I…"

Kakashi sighed quietly once the shock had worn off and crossed his legs, resting his elbows on his knees. "Well… I guess we're back to where we started, huh?"

Naruto remembered his earlier anger and tried to call it back, but found it difficult. Not after he'd so cheerfully helped him make a clone for the first time in his life… Was this what it was like for the other kids in his class? When they practiced techniques, did they have parents watching them and correcting their mistakes? Was that why he was the last one in his class to master the clone technique?

Naruto glanced up cautiously to see Kakashi watching him, calm as ever, an expectant look in his eye. The man seemed to be waiting for him to speak, and finally, Naruto decided to give him the benefit of the doubt. He had been so nice and… if it weren't for the secret revealed at the hospital, Naruto almost felt like he could trust him.

"Okay. You seem nice, which is why I'm not just going to throw you out. So… all right. Why didn't you come see me when you first back to the village? You know, after that six-year long mission you told me about?"

Kakashi chuckled ruefully, a distant look in his eye. "Wasn't allowed. Our team didn't have any contact with the general population; we saw doctors and shrinks for the first week, and that was it. Then the ANBU commander."

"Shrinks?"

Kakashi shook his head and rolled his visible eye skyward. "When you're a shinobi, you'll meet your fair share of them. And a psych eval is required after torture."

"Wha- torture?!"

"Maa, yes." Kakashi scratched his chin and popped his neck, seeming lost in thought. "I spent my eighteenth birthday in a Iwa prison cell, courtesy of their head interrogator. My nineteenth, in some abandoned house on the border as our team recovered after we escaped." He shrugged again before his eye brightened. "My, aren't those depressing stories. Point is, we weren't allowed back into the general populous until we cleared the psych eval. In ANBU, that means you can function in battle again and won't freeze up or panic; however you cope; well, that's your business. So, the moment we cleared the shrinks, we were given another mission. I honestly didn't have time to do more than wave at you."

Naruto bit his lip. On one hand, he could hardly imagine that a shinobi could really be so busy that he wouldn't have been able to take a night and come over and visit. But, on the other… he thought back to how Kakashi had appeared in the woods before he'd collapsed. Blank white mask and armor stained in blood, katana hanging off his back… intimidating and powerful, almost a sight to fear.

While he couldn't imagine this Kakashi being the ninja he was describing, that man, with the animal mask and the blood and the katana… he could.

"Oooookay," he said at length, drawing the word out. "So… after then? Let me guess, it's the same story?"

"More or less. The village was in a bad situation for a while, after the Kyuubi attack. Yondaime-sama died, as you know, and many other high-ranking shinobi were killed, not to mention much of the village was destroyed. It wasn't exactly the kind of situation where Sandaime would let an ANBU captain resign. Not to mention the council had ordered me to stay away and wasn't exactly keen on letting us have any contact. Whenever I had a spare second of free time, they would give me another mission... and the punishments were severe if I tried to visit you."

"But _why?! _What did I ever do to them?! Why do they hate me?! ...Why the hell does everyone hate me?"

Kakashi's gaze softened. "They're ignorant. That's just all there is to it, Naruto. They don't know what they're talking about. And don't listen to the council. Trust me, no self-respecting jounin does."

Naruto grimaced. He wanted to still be angry at Kakahsi, he did… but the man wasn't making it very easy. "So, what happened? I mean… even if you weren't in the village a lot… I mean, it's been _ten years!_ Surely, in _ten years_, you've had the time to at least pop by and explain yourself!"

Kakashi scratched the back of his head awkwardly and gave a small smile. "Yeah, I did. Honestly, the situation cooled down two years ago, when you were eight, when this kid who could use Wood Style entered ANBU. Word spread that Konoha had a new prodigy like the First, and then all the missions came pouring back while other countries stopped hovering on the verge of war to take advantage of our weakened situation. I've had a bit more free time since then."

His anger rising, Naruto crossed his arms stubbornly, now fighting to keep his voice steady. "So?! Why didn't you say anything _then?! _That still leaves two years when you just kept silent!"

Kakashi looked away, his shoulders slumping in somber defeat. "As I said before, I was still under orders to keep my distance, and the council wasn't above punishing you if I went against them. But, beside that... Naruto, you were already eight. You were in the Academy… I saw you eating ramen with your sensei. You looked happy. I knew if I just intruded in on that, it would only cause you more pain."

"What?"

He shrugged tiredly. "There's a reason ANBU don't have many friends. We're not easy to be friends _with_. Constantly on missions… coming back to the village half dead… I once almost cut a friend's throat when he snuck up behind me. If he hadn't been a ninja, he would've died. You didn't need that. Sandaime told me some stories about you, and, well… you'd suffered enough. Minato-sensei never would've wanted me to just cause you more pain."

Naruto stared at the man, dumbfounded. He literally had no idea what to say. He was still reeling over the fact that here was this man who'd known his father, who'd tried to take care of him when he was born but just hadn't been able to. And he was more than a little mad that Kakashi had been able to contact him for at _least _two years, but hadn't… and his explanation didn't make sense. Yes, he had Iruka, but… Iruka wasn't there all the time.

Naruto looked away and bit his lip. This conversation was abruptly feeling very, very familiar…

_"Why don't you just adopt him, Iruka?"_

_Iruka laughed lightly and scratched the base of his ponytail, even as Naruto's eyes widened in shock. "Hokage-sama, he's lived on his own for eight years. He doesn't need a guardian to just show up now, after all this time, like he can't take care of himself."_

_"…Perhaps. But that's not why I suggested it."_

_"Hmm?"_

_"Naruto doesn't need a legal guardian, Iruka. But he's still a child, and every child could use someone to come home to, and he doesn't have anyone else…"_

_Iruka looked away while Naruto watched on in disbelief. He suddenly felt almost wrong about eavesdropping, like this wasn't a conversation he was supposed to hear. But now he wanted to know the answer to Iruka's question. He had never thought about Iruka adopting him before… but he wasn't honestly opposed to the idea. He certainly didn't need a legal guardian; he could take care of himself. _

_But it would be so nice to come home to someone at night._

_Iruka's voice was careful and quiet when he spoke again. "I care for Naruto a lot, Hokage-sama. But, to be honest… I think he would be better off, staying on his own."_

_"How do you mean?"_

_Naruto shifted uncomfortably as his sensei gave a morose shrug. "People aren't really happy that I'm Naruto's friend. They take it out on him. And I don't mean my other students; I mean other adults. I don't know if Naruto's noticed, but I have. They glare at him just a little bit more when I'm with him, push him away just a little bit harder… I don't want to think about what would happen if I actually legally adopted him. People are cruel enough to him as is, Hokage-sama. I don't want to see it get worse, and certainly not because of me."_

_Naruto had to fight very hard to stay still and unnoticeable at that, not budging from his hiding place in the tree. What was Iruka talking about? People had always hated him… just because Iruka was his friend now didn't change that. …Right?_

"Oi, Naruto."

Naruto jumped. Kakashi's voice had been a sudden intrusion on his memories, memories he had almost forgotten about when the discussion had never occurred again. He blinked and looked over at the jounin, who was frowning in worry. "You've been doing out for almost two minutes," he said as a way of an explanation.

Naruto shifted awkwardly and looked away, now unable to stop himself from comparing Kakashi to Iruka. Both had said they refrained from getting closer to him because they didn't want to hurt him… Naruto thought that was thick-headed and, well, stupid, but he couldn't hate Iruka, not after hearing how earnestly he had spoken about hot wanting him to be hurt. And Kakashi seemed to just throw a bland smile at everything and shrug, but it seemed like he had been just as wary of hurting him as Iruka.

Naruto hesitated and scratched his hair, finding it a bit difficult to look the man in the eye again.

He wanted to say that Kakashi was a complete idiot for staying away because he didn't want to hurt him. He also wanted to say that was really nice of him and that it reminded him a lot of Iruka, but that he still thought it was stupid that Kakashi hadn't approached years ago… but that he could forgive him.

Naruto couldn't figure out how to say all that, though.

"Um… so, um," he said, oh so eloquently.

"Yes?"

Naruto chuckled uncertainly. "Ah… Kakashi-niisan?"

Kakashi's grey eye widened at the honorific, especially when it became clear that it hadn't slipped out on accident, not like before. He seemed to have left him almost speechless. Naruto watched, almost slightly amused, as the man stammered and sputtered for a few seconds before he finally let the suffix pass and gestured for him to continue. "Yes, Naruto?"

"How did my dad die?"

Kakashi's open eye narrowed, and he sighed, leaning back against the wall with a surprisingly somber expression. He opened his scarred red as well and slowly glanced up to look at Naruto, and was he imagining it, or did it spin for just a second…?

But then the moment was over, and Kakashi spoke simply and succinctly, with a far off look in his eyes as if he were reliving the day himself. "For Konoha. He died on the same day as many fine shinobi, to protect the village. During the Kyuubi attack. Both he and your mother gave their lives to keep the village safe."

Naruto lowered his head at that, unable to stop a tiny, proud smile from playing across his lips. His parents had been shinobi. They had both died for the village.

What were those bullies who made fun of him now going to say? He'd tell them that he was just the same as them, that his parents had been just as honorable as Iruka and and every other shinobi in the village! Just wait until he told them…

If only he could remember his father's name… and what had he looked like again?

"Um, Kakashi-niisan?" he asked in confusion, realizing he had forgotten someone else. "How did you know my dad? I can't remember."

Kakashi's eye just crinkled up in what was becoming a familiar smile. "Maa, I know everyone," he said evasively.

Naruto would never know, Kakashi reasoned, that it had just taken a little bit of fiddling with his Sharingan to remove the details of Minato from Naruto's mind. The council hated Naruto and wasn't very fond of him. Knowing his father's name and appearance, it wouldn't take very much for Naruto to discover that Minato was the Fourth Hokage. If he found _that _much out, there would be no keeping him quiet, and the council would assume that Kakashi would tell him about Kyuubi, as well, and he doubted he'd even be allowed to have contact with Naruto after that.

Even though Naruto had every right to know about the demon fox sealed inside him, every right to know about his own _parents_…

Kakashi wasn't willing to let Naruto suffer more than he already had.

Naruto would probably be furious with him when this deception fell through, and it would fall through.

But he would like to be Niisan for at least a little while longer. Minato would've wanted to let him take care of his son for as long as he could. If Naruto knew the truth…

The council had as good as told him two years ago that if told Naruto the truth, about anything, then he could kiss Konoha goodbye and welcome a long term mission to Mist with open arms. Kakashi wouldn't really care, by this point; that wouldn't exactly be a punishment. For him, anyway. But, for Naruto, who'd already lost everyone…

Kakashi looked down at the boy who was smiling awkwardly, his legs crossed, looked the most relaxed that Kakashi had ever seen him. He found himself unable to stop smiling himself.

Minato would be very happy indeed with what his son looked like right now.

And, as for Kakashi… he liked the idea of being Kakashi-niisan. Quite a lot.


	5. Mizuki and Ramen Metaphors

Thank you all for reviewing! This begins the random oneshots section. Parental!Kakashi Kakanaru is addictive, let me tell you. Set during the pilot, with Iruka, Mizuki, Naruto, and added in badass Kakashi.

_"Iruka-sensei!"_

Naruto's scream pierced through the suffocating silence of the forest. Startled birds flew upwards in a mass of fluttering wings and frantic caws, and the leaves trembled with the rush of the animals fleeing from the panicked yell echoing through the trees. But even as the flock of birds took to the skies, Naruto remained frozen in place, the only sound he could hear being his own heart pounding wildly in his ears.

Iruka's blood dripped slowly down at a steady pace to plop onto his shaking hand, the vicious liquid cold against his skin. His tanned face, one that was meant for smiles and laughter and happiness, was contorted in pain, but his gentle smile remained through it all. Even when he collapsed, heavier frame slamming into Naruto's, giant shuriken still lodged in his back.

_"Iruka-sensei!"_

Naruto scrambled to get out from him, hands pushing and fighting against Iruka's limp form, and then he grasped onto the weapon and pulled, tears of frustration coming to his eyes when it refused to budge. "Come on! Move, dammit!" he cried, tugging on it again even as Iruka convulsed and slammed his fist into the ground in agony.

A blow to the side sent him careening to the ground. Naruto landed with his face in the dirt and coughed, the dust that got into his eyes causing them to sting when he inhaled a mouth full of soil, and he coughed again. He squirmed and twisted onto his back to see Mizuki standing over Iruka's prone form, foot on his torso, a hand on the shuriken. He pulled it out easily and hefted it with a harsh chuckle. "Kyuubi, not even able to lift a weapon. How far it's fallen. This brat; he-"

"Shut up."

Mizuki looked down at Iruka curiously and laughed again, seeming a little mad. "Oh? Still talking, Iruka?"

Iruka coughed and raised his head slowly, every inch he lifted it seeming to take an inordinate amount of energy, but the venomous glare he sent in Mizuki's direction was anything but weak. "Naruto is not Kyuubi."

"You're still defending him?! Face it! He's a weak little brat with Kyuubi inside of him. Sooner or later, the demon fox is going to take control and-"

"Naruto's never hurt anyone!" Iruka yelled, straining to get up, but Mizuki's foot kept him in place. "Naruto has never hurt anyone. He's suffered so much- suffered because of people like _you_. But he's never lost hope. All you people have done is fuel his determination to prove that he's worth more than your hate."

Mizuki rolled his eyes. "What, you believe him when he says he'll become Hokage? Please! This bastard child, who can't even make a clone? With _Kyuubi _inside of him? Ha!" He chuckled loudly, and Naruto took a tiny step back at his loud voice, trembling in fear. "The day he becomes Hokage is the day Konoha goes down in flames!"

Instead of coming up with a retort, Iruka instead turned his head to he could see Naruto, and he smiled weakly, though it was clearly a thin mask to hide his pain. "Naruto, you have to… have to run. You don't stand a chance against Mizuki. Get back to the village, run-"

"Yeah, right," Mizuki spat, digging his foot into Iruka's wound. Naruto flinched as his teacher's head whipped down to bite down on his own wrist to keep from screaming. "Like I would let the Kyuubi brat go. Killing him was never part of the plan, but, you know what? Kyuubi killed my parents, too, Iruka. What, thought you were the only one? No, you were just the special one, the one Sandaime noticed, the one who _everyone_ noticed." He shook his head bitterly, then tossed his giant shrunken to the side where it splintered a tree in half with a loud crack. "I'll make this quick, Naruto. Dumbass. Should've run when your precious Iruka told you to. Not that it would have made any difference."

Mizuki cracked his knuckles and rammed his heel into Iruka's ribcage, rolling him back and behind him even as the man struggled to reach into his weapon pouch, trying to find anything that would help Naruto. "_Naruto!_" Iruka yelled in a panic, his eyes wide, his cheat heaving. "Naruto, run, you idiot! _Run!_"

Naruto stared at Iruka in terror. What was he supposed to do? What was he supposed to do?! Mizuki had taken down Iruka. Iruka was his sensei; Iruka wasn't supposed to be able to get hurt, but he was suddenly splayed out on the dark forest floor with a vicious wound in his back and his vest covered in blood- blood that was so dark and so _red_ and Mizuki was laughing, _laughing_-

How dare he? How dare he _laugh_ after he hurt Iruka? Iruka never hurt anybody, _ever_. He didn't deserve this.

With a jolt, Naruto realized that if he just sat there and died, Iruka would die, too.

Naruto was up on his feet before he knew what he was doing. He was so angry he was seeing red, and his hand wasn't shaking anymore as he picked up a smaller shuriken off the ground from the earlier fight and prepared to throw it.

Mizuki stopped in his approach, seeming a bit surprised. "Oh? Kyuubi brat has some spunk in him. How interesting. And what an utter waster of time."

Iruka, meanwhile, was horrified. "_Naruto!_" he screamed, struggling to sit upright as he gestured erratically, telling him to run. "What the hell are you doing?! _Run! Run, Naruto!"_

"Iruka, shut up. You're loud and annoying. Let your student fight if he-"

"You insult Iruka-sensei one more time, and you'll regret it."

Mizuki's pale eyes widened in a delighted surprise, and Naruto tightened his grip on his weapon and took a step forward, slipping into a crouch. His attacker laughed again and rolled his eyes. "Oh? What do you think you're going to do? Going to try and kill me? Bet you can't, Kyuubi. Here, I'll even give you a free shot. Go on, try and hit me."

Naruto started to shake in fury. The man's taunting, Iruka's blood, Iruka's screams- it was too much. This man had hurt one of his precious people, and he was going to pay for it.

Naruto dropped the shuriken, his hands coming together in a seal. '_Kage bunshin no jutsu!_" he screamed, releasing all of his pent up rage into the technique as his vision flashed red again.

Mizuki visibly paled.

"You're going to pay for hurting Iruka-sensei!" The chorus of Narutos shook the clearing with the force of their combined war cry and Mizuki stumbled back, turning around only to see he was surrounded on all sides. He raised his own weapon now, every hint of laughter gone from his face, and Naruto charged.

Naruto's first real battle was short. It only lasted five minutes, although it seemed to last much longer to him. It felt like hours before he was tossed onto his back, a bloodied and panting Mizuki standing over him triumphantly, another wicked smile distorting his features as Iruka yelled for him to just run already. "You can do a pretty little trick with all your Chakra, Kyuubi, but you're still just a pre-genin brat. I don't care how many of you there are. That's not a threat."

Naruto whimpered as Mizuki's boot dug into his throat and the man knelt, drawing out a kunai and resting it against his skin. "Worthless moron. I don't know why Sandaime let you live, but I'm about to correct his mistake. Say goodbye, Kyuubi!"

Naruto shut his eyes tight and cringed.

And then, in the midst of utter, paralyzing terror, there was the sound of a crackle of electricity, a bird's cry, and the most comforting voice he had ever heard in his life.

"_Chidori!_"

The weight on top of him suddenly vanished, and Naruto heard something slam into the ground beside him and his eyes shot open, searching for the owner of that voice, because if it was really him, then he and Iruka were saved.

Kakashi was kneeling over Mizuki beside him, knee crushing into his chest and elbow pinning his throat to the hard earth. His red eye was uncovered and both were narrowed in such intense loathing and hatred that Naruto almost flinched back in fear, but his other hand- the sight of it paralyzed him.

It was hovering a few inches above Mizuki's stomach, and Naruto could think of no other explanation except that a ball of lightening was clenched in his fist. That's what it looked like, and the eerie white light lit up the entire clearing and illuminated the hate in Kakashi's masked face as the man pressed his knee harder into Mizuki's chest, and he grunted in pain.

"Move, and you die."

Mizuki's eyes widened, and there was a low whimper of fear in his throat. "Sh… Sharingan n-no Kakashi," he whispered, his voice trembling under the weight of sheer terror.

Kakashi nodded slowly, his voice nothing but a fierce growl of rage. "You have two options. Surrender immediately and unconditionally is option one. Option two is my Chidori goes straight through your heart. You have three seconds to pick, or I pick for you."

Mizuki's jaw worked for a few seconds, as if he was trying to speak, but no words came out.

Kakashi's eyes narrowed. "Time's up. Chidori option." He pulled the arm with the lightening back, preparing to ram it into his heart- and the sight scared Naruto almost more than Mizuki himself. That wasn't Kakashi-niisan. That man looked like… like a killer. A ruthless killer.

"N-niisan…"

Kakashi's arm froze, the lightening a centimeter away from piercing Mizuki's heart- the man's terrified scream had already left his mouth to echo around the forest. Kakashi turned his head to look at Naruto, and his eyes were wide, almost unfocused, but the mount they locked onto Naruto's frightened gaze they seemed to fall back to reality. Kakashi remained frozen for one long moment, his expression unreadable, then turned back to Mizuki, the terrifying glow of electrify on his hand dying out in nothingness.

"You're not worth my time to kill." That said, he cocked back his fist and slammed it into Mizuki's head, hard enough for a tooth to fly out of his now slack mouth, along with some blood, as his head whipped to the side, the man now unconscious.

Naruto stared, rooted to the spot by a nauseating mix of terror and shock. Kakashi stood in a heartbeat, his hands moving so fast they were blur and two shadow clones materialized, immediately dispersing to do their own work while the original went straight for Naruto. Kakashi knelt in front of him and grabbing him by the shoulder, shaking him slightly when Naruto's eyes remained wide and blank and he couldn't say a word.

"Naruto. Naruto, are you okay?"

Iruka- Iruka was hurt and had almost died and _he_ had almost died, and Kakashi-

"Naruto, _are you okay?!"_

Iruka, Iruka, _Iruka_, Kakashi, Kakashi, _Kakashi-_

"_Naruto! Are you all right?!"_

The utter panic and sheet terror barely hidden in Kakashi's voice woke him up. He jumped, then sucked in a great gulp of air, trembling as his eyes jumped between Mizuki and Kakashi. Naruto blinked, then saw Kakashi still kneeling in front of him, and the panic barely hidden in his dark, mismatched eyes jolted him out of his shock.

"Ka… Ka… Ka…"

Kakashi's eyes widened, and he gripped his shoulder harder and shook him again. "Naruto, are you okay?! Naruto, please, answer me! Answer me!"

Naruto's lower lip trembled.

"Kakashi-niisan!" Naruto threw himself forward into Kakashi's unsuspecting arms and buried his head in the thick cloth of his vest, closing his eyes tightly and wrapping his arms around his middle. "K-Kakashi-niisan…"

Kakashi didn't react at first, but when Naruto finally felt his larger arms hesitantly come up and awkwardly move around him, he finally released a frantic sob and just hugged him tighter.

And while the original copy ninja knelt in the dirt, the boy who had grown to be so dear to him with his face pressed into his chest, the other two clones worked. One steadily tied the out cold Mizuki's hands tightly behind his back- even though it a rather unnecessary precaution- while the other saw to Iruka.

"Iruka-sensei, can you move? How's the pain?"

Iruka grunted softly into the dirt as the copy ninja began swiftly giving his wound a field dressing. "I can move. Hurts like a bitch."

"Harsh language from a man who teaches children." The clone worked for another moment, then shifted to slide his arms underneath him. "It's going to hurt, but we have to get back to Konoha."

"I know."

Kakashi was about to stand when Iruka reached up and gripped at his vest, and his brown eyes filled with concern and worry. "Kakashi-san… Kakashi-san, I don't know how much you heard, but Mizuki… Mizuki told Naruto about… what's inside of him."

Kakashi's eyes, both of them, darkened, and he gave a single slow nod.

Iruka didn't notice, but the clone dealing with Mizuki abruptly tightened the rope in such a way that his wrist broke in two places.

The original Kakashi stood, Naruto's arms still wrapped around his neck, and tried to shift the boy onto his back. "Naruto, Iruka-sensei's hurt. I need to get you two back to the village. Come on, Naruto… I can carry you but you need to get on my back."

When Naruto reluctantly started to shift his position, Iruka noticed, and he called out to him from Kakashi's clone's arms. "Hey. Hey, Kakashi-san, wait. I.. I need to give something to Naruto."

Kakashi's eyes narrowed in curiosity, but he walked slowly over to Iruka, slanting his hitai-ate over his Sharingan as he did so. He crouched so the boy on his back and the man in his clone's arms were at eye level, and Iruka reached slowly up with a trembling hand to loosen the knot of his own headband. It took him a few tries, but he finally managed the feat and held it out to Naruto.

Naruto's eyes widened, and he stared from the piece of cloth to his sensei in utter shock.

Iruka managed a weak smile. "You deserve it. …You graduate, Naruto."

Naruto gave a tiny gasp, but when he slowly reached out to accept the headband with a trembling hand, he was smiling. He was smiling, and his eyes were filled with wonderment.

And as Kakashi carried Naruto back to Konoha, back home, he wondered when the child on his back had gone from being Minato's son, _Minato's _precious person and therefore his, by default, to just being _his_ precious person.

* * *

Kakashi watched as Naruto buried his head in knees again, new headband that he wore with pride pushing his hair up out his eyes and making him suddenly seem a bit more grown up. In Kakashi's opinion, it was a bit depressing that, all over Konoha, Naruto's classmates were celebrating with these new headbands, with their families- and yet here was Naruto, in a hospital room, head buried in his knees with the man he cared about the most unconscious on the bed.

Kakashi had been greeted, on return to the village, by Saindaime himself and the elders- elders who looked only too keen to execute first, and ask questions later, if only it would just finally get rid of the Kyuubi brat. Kakashi hadn't been able to stop smirking as he unceremoniously tossed Mizuki's trussed up and still unconscious body on the ground, the forbidden scroll with it, and tell them that Naruto had helped bring down a traitor to the village.

"He held Mizuki down until I got there," he had announced with yet another proud smile. "If it weren't for this new shinobi's of Konoha's quick actions, then Iruka-sensei would be dead, and Mizuki would've escaped with the scroll."

Oh, how he had loved the look on the elders faces at the words 'new shinobi of Konoha.' He also thought he had loved Sandaime's proud smile a little bit more.

Iruka had been taken to the hospital, and Naruto had gone with him. Kakashi, after giving his report, had followed to find Naruto sitting in Iruka's small little room, watching his sensei's medicated sleep like a bodyguard. Iruka was splayed out on his stomach, back a mess of bandages and head pillowed in his arms. He looked decidedly uncomfortable, but then, the doctors probably had him on the good stuff. Kakashi smiled. _No one_ could be uncomfortable while on the good stuff.

Naruto spoke up in a small voice, his words muffled by the cloth of his pants. "…Kakashi-niisan?"

"Mmm?"

"…Why is Kyuubi inside of me? ...That's why, isn't it? That's why everyone's always hated me."

It was a matter of fact statement, a chilling one, and Kakashi could barely keep himself expressionless as he watched Naruto begin to trace a light circle over his stomach. "Yes, Naruto. That's why the others have always hated you. Your other classmates… they don't actually know about Kyuubi, but their parents do, and they listen to their parents."

Naruto bit his lip and hung his head, slumping back into the chair. "But, with that… that _monster_… in here," he gestured at his small frame with a trembling hand, "then… what about you? And Iruka-sensei? …Don't you hate Kyuubi, too?"

His voice was tiny and miserable, almost as if he expected Kakashi to turn on him and hate him like all the rest… as if he couldn't understand why anyone would like him just because of what had been sealed away inside of him. Kakashi's fists clenched as he looked down at the small, sad child, and he almost wanted to scream.

This wasn't what Minato had wanted. He had wanted Naruto to be a hero. Not ostracized as a monster.

"I don't have any particular like for Kyuubi, myself," he confessed aloud, and the hurt look that crossed Naruto's face almost made his resolve falter. "Though I can't speak for Iruka-sensei. But I don't see what that has to do about me liking you."

The hope that crossed his sad face was enough to lift the corners of Kakashi's mouth in a smile, and the sight of Naruto happy was always worth it, no matter what he had to go through to get him to be that way. But the hope was crushed almost as soon as it appeared, replaced by a nervous desperation. "B-but, Kyuubi's inside of me."

"Yeah, it is." At Naruto's confused and still hurt expression, Kakashi sat down beside him and let his head thump back against the wall, keeping his tone decidedly light and cheerful. "Think of it like this, Naruto. You don't like carrots, right?"

Naruto shook his head firmly, but his eyes were still wide and vulnerable, and Kakashi was quick to made his point.

"So, what happens when I sneak carrots into your ramen sometimes? Does that mean you hate the ramen? Does that mean you throw out the whole bowl just because of a little tiny bit of what's inside it?"

"Well… no…" This time, when Naruto shook his head, it was a little bit quicker, and his smile was just a little bit brighter.

"Right. All those other people out there who don't like you? Well, they throw out the entire bowl just because of one measly carrot."

"But that's stupid," Naruto said before he could stop himself. "That's such a waste of good ramen."

"Exactly. Just like ignoring you because of what's sealed inside of you is a waste of a good person."

When Naruto's eyes widened in a happy surprise, and the last vestiges of depression and misery disappeared from his face, Kakashi couldn't possibly help but smile back.

It had been a long time since he'd cared about anyone enough that just seeing them smile was enough to make him smile, too.

"You really mean that, Niisan?"

"Of course I do."

The jounin's eye crinkled up in a warm grin, and Naruto responded with a bright expression of joy so genuine it made Kakashi's heart soar.


	6. Good guys, Bad guys, and Sasuke

Thank you all for reviewing! This takes place during the Land of Waves arc. Scene one is for the first fight with Zabuza, Scene two is for after the second fight.

* * *

Before Team Seven's mission to the Land of Waves, Naruto had never been more afraid than when Mizuki had hurt Iruka and advanced on him. He'd never been more scared of anything than he had been of Mizuki in that moment.

He'd also never hated anyone more in his entire life when Mizuki had stepped on Iruka, thrown that shuriken into his back, and laughed. He'd hurt Iruka and Naruto had wanted to hurt him right back.

But all that fear, all that hate- it paled in comparison to what he felt in the moment that Zabuza trapped Kakashi, _his_ Kakashi, in that orb of water and turned on them.

Ever since Kakashi had saved him and Iruka from Mizuki, Kakashi had seemed like this surely invincible, unstoppable force of nature. No one could hurt him and he would always be there to protect him. But now, it was Naruto's turn to protect Kakashi- and he couldn't. He couldn't, he couldn't, he couldn't do it. Whatever demonic force was strong enough to take down Kakashi, it was surely far too much for Naruto to take on by himself.

"Take Tazuna and run! Naruto, Sasuke, Sakura- take Tazuna and run, damn it!"

Take Tazuna and run? But that would leave Kakashi behind. Naruto didn't understand. Surely Kakashi had a plan- but what kind of plan would involve them just leaving him behind?

Unless…

_Run, Naruto! You don't stand a chance against Mizuki! Get out of here?!_

Could it be? Just like with Iruka…

Kakashi had no plan. His 'plan' was for his team to run and save themselves and leave him to die.

Naruto's anger rose hotly, and he found himself wanting to scream. That wasn't a plan! That wasn't fair! Kakashi couldn't die- Kakashi just couldn't, couldn't _die_.

_This is all my fault for begging for a C-rank… I should've just kept my mouth shut… Niisan, niisan, niisan, I'm so sorry!_

"No!" Naruto yelled as Kakashi opened his mouth to order them away again. "No! I won't leave you behind, Kakashi-niisan!"

Zabuza chuckled quietly. "You should listen to your sensei, brat. If you run now, and leave Tazuna and Kakashi with me, I"ll spare your lives."

"I don't care! I won't let you hurt him!"

Kakashi's eyes widened in fury, and he gestured erratically, screaming at them from behind his mask. "Naruto, this fight was decided the moment I got caught! _R__un!_ Get back to Konoha; keep Tazuna safe! He's your mission! Not me!"

It was Sasuke who replied, his voice as calm and cold as usual, but this time hovering on the very edge of panic and tainted with urgency. "Weren't you the one, Kakashi, who told us to put our teammates above the mission?"

Kakashi's eyes, if possible, grew even wider before he shook his head vigorously. "If you stay, you'll die! You _can't_ fight Zabuza! You guys need to run! You can't die here!"

Zabuza scowled and spoke, his eyes dark. "As much as I enjoy the family feud, it's drawing out too long. You kids going to run, or not?"

"Not a chance in hell, you bastard!"

Sasuke simply nodded in confirmation on the heels of Naruto's yell, while Sakura trembled for a moment before she tightened her grip on her weapon and said nothing. Zabuza rolled his eyes. "You're too stupid to live. Come on, then. Have fun."

Naruto looked between Kakashi and Zabuza, the terror that was making his knees shake climaxing when the man hefted his monstrous sword over his shoulder and met eyes with him. He had taken down Kakashi. What the hell was he supposed to do?!

Sasuke was the one who moved forward first. He ran without fear or even hesitation, a battle cry emerging from his lips as he pulled out a weapon and prepared to leap on Zabuza.

Zabuza countered quickly and easily, and before Naruto knew it, Sasuke was on the ground, Zabuza's foot planted on his ribcage. "Pathetic," he sneered, and Sakura screamed.

"_Sasuke-kun!_"

Zabuza kicked down, and Sasuke coughed violently, spraying blood.

Just like with Mizuki and Iruka…

"It's a pity I've got to kill you now, though. Sasuke, is it? You've got potential. Your head could be worth a lot in the bingo book someday. You sure you want to do this? You can still run."

Sasuke's glare merely darkened, still trapped under Zabuza's foot. When he spoke, his voice was low and frigid as ice, and it bespoke of more pain and darkness than Naruto could even fathom. "My purpose is to kill a certain man- a man's whose head is worth a lot more than yours. If I can't kill you, then I have no right to face him."

"Hmph. Have it your way, then." Zabuza raised his sword, preparing to let it fall down and slice through Sasuke's neck-

Iruka, about to be killed by Mizuki-

"Kage bunshin no jutsu!"

Just as it had before, his rage poured itself out into the technique, his anger forming clone after clone after clone. Kakashi was not going to be killed by Zabuza. He wasn't going to let _his Kakashi_ die, he wasn't going to let his Sasuke die- he wasn't going to let anyone die!

It was when Naruto caught a glimpse a shuriken in one of his clone's hand that he was hit by an idea- an idea that just could work.

It would have to work, because he wasn't going to let anyone die.

The fight continued on, Naruto being blasted back but allowing Sasuke to get himself free. And when Naruto saw Sasuke worm himself away from Zabuza and stand, drawing out a weapon with the fiercest glare he had ever seen in his dark eyes, Naruto remembered one of the most important lessons that Kakashi had ever taught him.

Teamwork was not just important. Teamwork was everything.

Teamwork to save a friend over accomplishing the mission. Complete Kakashi-style.

He worked with the young, broody, annoying, self-righteous, stuck up Uchiha, and decided he wasn't quite so annoying, self-righteous, or stuck up and was a bit more in the terms of smart and prodigious and… well… good. Talented. Perhaps, later, Naruto would feel a bit slighted that Sakura's crush was really as good as he made himself out to be, but now he was just glad his friend was good enough to help Kakashi.

Kakashi screamed one more time for him to run and save himself, the most terrified look Naruto had ever seen taken over his eyes, and then Sasuke threw the two shurikens.

When Naruto saw the shuriken flying toward Zabuza just before he hit the water, he locked eyes with Kakashi in a silent prayer that he got out of this alive.

Naruto crashed into the river and immediately turned to scramble and fight his way up towards the sunlight, his arms working frantically and his legs kicking, because Kakashi, Kakashi, Kakashi-

He finally broke the surface, and the relief was so intense he almost couldn't breathe when he saw that Kakashi was free. He was free and crouched on the surface of the water, arm extended, the shuriken Zabuza had been about to throw in a rage blocked by his armored glove.

"Niisan," he breathed, the terrified tension seeping out of his shoulders as Zabuza and Kakashi turned to face either other, Kakashi moving so his back was to him- so Zabuza would have to go through Kakashi to get to him.

"I'm warning you, the same trick won't work on me twice."

Zabuza's eyes narrowed in a dark fury, and then his massive sword was out and Kakashi had blocked it with nothing more than a tiny kunai. The two struggled in an utter standoff, Kakashi holding his own against the six foot blade that was only a few inches shorter than him and almost as wide, and then they jumped apart, and Naruto could breathe again.

Kakashi was safe.

And with Kakashi safe came a certainty that _he_ was safe as well, that he and Sakura and Sasuke were safe. Because Kakashi would never let anyone hurt them.

* * *

If saving Kakashi was like an antidote for his terror, watching him fall to the ground like a sack of potatoes certainly riled it up again.

"Kakashi-niisan, Kakashi-niisan!" he cried, shaking him by the shoulder over and over again. "Kakashi-niisan, wake up! Are you okay?! Niisan!"

"Naruto! Baka Naruto, get off of him!" Sakura pushed his hands roughly aside and leaned over Kakashi as well, and Naruto noticed the slightest hint of reproach in Sasuke's eyes at the kunoichi's actions before he turned back to Kakashi again, panic rising in his throat.

"What's wrong with him?! He just passed out- did Zabuza do something? Is he hurt? Is he-"

"Dobe, you sound more like a five year old girl than a ninja."

Sasuke's offhand insult somehow had the affect of cooling Naruto's panic. His breaths slowed, because Sasuke was right. Kakashi was going to be fine, he was going to be fine and it was just a little fight; Kakashi could handle it, whatever it was. Kakashi was going. To. Be. Fine.

Finally, Sakura slumped in relief, and it was only then that he realized how scared she had been as well. "He's going to be okay. I think. I don't know, I've never seen it before, but-"

"_What?!_ What is it?! Why'd he pass out, Sakura-chan?!"

Sakura glared at him. "Shut up and let me talk, baka!" She looked a hair's breath away from slapping him over the back of the head and turned back to Kakashi. "I think it's, um… Chakra exhaustion?"

Naruto frowned. "Cha-k-ra exhaustion?" he asked, sounding out the word. "…What's that?"

Sakura actually did hit him over the back of the head this time. "Didn't you ever _listen_ in the Academy?!" she cried in despair. "Chakra exhaustion is when a shinobi uses too much Chakra! _Duh!_"

"Hn." Sasuke clicked his tongue on the roof of his mouth in a sound between contempt and disappointment. "Kakashi'll be fine, dobe."

Naruto ignored the insult, for once, since Sasuke's words meant that Kakashi would be okay. Even as he slipped his hand into Kakashi's cold and clammy one, so still he could've been dead, he knew that Kakashi was going to be all right, and that was all that mattered.

"Eh… I'm really sorry about this, you guys," Tazuna began hesitantly, giving a nervous chuckle. "Your sensei, he can rest at my house, right?"

Sakura nodded slightly. "He should be fine with some sleep. I think. I- I really don't know… I've never sent his happen before, I-"

"That would be helpful, Tazuna." Sasuke cut off Sakura's nervous ramblings, easily taking charge without a second thought. "Dobe, make four shadow clones to carry Kakashi. I need you with your hands free in case we're attacked again."

"Eh?!"

Sasuke glanced down at him without even a flicker of emotion. "It's a precaution, dobe. We've already been attacked twice today. Don't want to leave us open for a third."

And so Naruto did as Sasuke asked, creating four clones to carry Kakashi. Because Sasuke was smart, and Kakashi always did say that teamwork and friends were everything. So he'd do what Kakashi would like and work Sasuke; let him take charge of the team…

Because, as much as he hated to admit it, Sasuke's skills were greater than his own.

Naruto just wasn't content to let that stay true for long.

* * *

"How many times have I told you not to fall asleep while on watch?"

Naruto jumped. His jolted open and his head jerked off of Kakashi's chest, and he sat bolt upright to see that Kakashi was wide awake and watching him with one definitely amused eye. "Kakashi-niisan!" he cried, moving off of Kakashi and crawling closer to his head. "You're awake!"

"So it would seem."

Naruto grinned wildly, Kakashi's usual bland manner only exciting him further. "You scared me so much, Niisan!"

"Only you?" Kakashi teased. "What about the others? Didn't I scare them, at least a little?"

Naruto laughed. "Sakura-chan was freaking out, and Sasuke-teme, he was trying to act all cool, but it was obvious he was sacred, too! Gosh, you were such a jerk, Niisan! You shouldn't scare us like that!"

WIth a slight, tired shrug, Kakashi's eye curved up into a smile. "But, scaring you is my speciality. What would I do if I couldn't scare you?" As he said this, Kakashi slowly tried to work himself into a sitting position, leaning on his elbows, but he only managed a couple of inches before his expression contorted in pain and he hung his head, one arm shifting under the blanket to grip his stomach.

"Ah, Niisan!" Naruto exclaimed, a bit flustered. "Quit that!"

Kakashi slowly let his head fall back onto the pillow with a tired groan, his arms moving back to lie limply by his sides. "Don't… worry, Naruto," he murmured, his eye slipping shut for a brief moment. "I just overused my Sharingan again. I'll be fine in a few days."

Naruto bit his lip and averted his eyes. Now that Kakashi was awake and talking, it was much, much easier to believe that he would, in fact, be fine in a few days. He still looked exhausted, with his eye drooping closed and his skin dawn and pale in the low light, but… his tired eye crinkle was very reassuring, and he was no longer frightened that Kakashi wouldn't be okay.

"Where are we, anyway?" Kakashi muttered, casting a sleepy look around the room. "Tazuna's?"

Naruto nodded. "Yep. He said we can rest here until you're better… we've been here a day already."

Kakashi groaned quietly. "Sorry, Naruto. This is a bit inconvenient… we're going to end up here for a week, at least. I won't be able to move for a while…"

Naruto's eyes widened, and he shifted back a bit, suddenly nervous, wary of hurting him. "Oh… I didn't realize that you were that hurt, I-"

"I'm not, I'm not." Kakashi gave another reassuring smile, shifting a bit uncomfortably under the blanket. "Just… a little tired. I'll be fine, I promise. …What about Sasuke and Sakura? They weren't injured, were they?"

He shook his head. "Nope. They're fine. Well… Sakura-chan's been really worried, and Sasuke-teme's been as broody as usual. But they weren't hurt."

"Good." Kakashi let the tension seep out of his stiff form in relief, then slowly roamed his eye around the dim room before his gaze came back to rest on Naruto. "By the way, Naruto… that was a very good plan you came up with back there. And to bring in Sasuke instead of trying to do it all by yourself… I'm proud of you."

Naruto flushed. He averted his eyes as the corners of his lips pulled up into a proud smile, and he raised his hand to rub the back of his neck awkwardly, seeming a bit unaccustomed to praise. "Really?"

"Yeah. Not the kind of strategy you would expect to see from a genin, that's for sure. You really surprised Zabuza. And I'm glad you worked as a team with Sasuke."

"I wasn't- I mean, when I saw Zabuza get you, and then he got Sasuke… well, I got really angry at him. I didn't want him to hurt you and decided I'd even work with that teme if it would help. Plus, that's what you taught us, right? Never put a mission over a teammate!"

Kakashi watched him for a moment, his expression unreadable. His grey eye was narrowed in what could've been annoyance, suspicion, anger, confusion- Naruto still wasn't adept at reading expressions through a single eye. He shifted uneasily until it crinkled in a smile. "Well, I suppose I can't be upset with you. I did tell you that, after all. Just didn't expect for you to use that philosophy on me. Maa, it can't be helped."

"Huh?"

Kakashi shrugged sleepily. "Nothing, Naruto. I just wasn't too happy when you and the others decided to stay and fight Zabuza. …But, I guess I made the same mistake he did- I underestimated you three. Just, try not to scare me like that in the future. There's only so much your dear old sensei can take."

Naruto rolled his eyes. "You're not so old, Niisan."

At that moment, Sakura and Sasuke walked into the room, Tazuna trailing behind. Sakura's eyes were focused entirely on Sasuke, but when she saw him halt, she looked towards Kakashi before moving past Sasuke and crossing her arms in a huff. "Sensei!" she scolded, much to Kakashi's obvious amusement. "You scared us!"

Naruto scooted back a bit, allowing his team to move closer as Kakashi beamed. "'Us'? So, I did scare Sasuke!"

"Hn." Sasuke sat on his knees a bit behind Naruto and Sakura and crossed his arms stubbornly, dark gaze fixated on Kakashi's covered right eye. Kakashi straightened up a little and glanced from Sasuke to Sakura, eye still curved in an arc of delight.

"Well, Sasuke's being his usual moody self, and that's no fun. I guess I'll just settle for needling you and Naruto, huh, Sakura?"

Sakura rolled her eyes. "Quit being so nonchalant, Kakashi-sensei. You really worried us!"

"No, no." Kakashi waved her off with a slightly shaking hand and continued to smile. "It was a test, you see. A test to see how well my dear little genins would handle their sensei would being injured on a mission, and you passed with flying colors! Your response was definitely ninja-like."

Sasuke rolled his eyes, clearly not amused, while Sakura gave a definitely un-ninja-like giggle and Naruto poked Kakashi in the shoulder. "You're so lying, Niisan. And you won't get to needle me or Sakura-chan! But, um… why would you want to poke us with needles? That seems kinda stupid…"

"Baka Naruto!"

"Seriously, dobe…"

When Kakashi let his head thump back against the pillow, his body shaking with laughter, Naruto looked between him and his teammates in confusion, wondering just what was wrong about what he'd said.

- **Scene Two** -

Team Seven turned their backs on Wave Country as they walked away from Zabuza's and Haku's graves. Sasuke and Sakura led the way- well, Sasuke led the way and Sakura hurried along beside him like a lost puppy, which left Naruto and Kakashi in the rear.

It wasn't long before a good ten feet or so separated the two pairs, and it was only when the others were out of earshot that Naruto glanced up at Kakashi and spoke. "Hey, Niisan?"

"Yeah?"

Naruto paused, then glanced over his shoulder at the rapidly fading sight of the graves. "Um… not all missions are going to be like this one, right? Fighting the good guys? I mean, at first, I thought Zabuza and Haku were the bad guys. They worked with Gato and were trying to kill Tazuna, but then, later, at the bridge… they ended up being good."

Kakashi frowned and looked away. Unlike Naruto, he had not grown up with any such illusions about the life of a ninja. He had grown up to being taught to kill his best friend if the mission required it; that being a ninja was more about causing pain and death than stopping it.

But _Naruto_ had grown up thinking that if he could just graduate, just become a ninja, then he could finally do some good and finally prove that he wasn't worthless. That he could ride in, save the day- liberate the villagers, release the prisoners, kill the evil monster- and make everyone happy.

Kakashi couldn't really blame Iruka and the Academy for teaching him that, because if they taught children what it was _really_ like to be a ninja, no one would want to sign up.

"I'm going to be honest with you, Naruto. Yes. All missions are going to be like this one. In fact, we were lucky- we were really fighting to liberate Wave Country from Gato. That makes us the 'good guys'." He made air quotes around the words and forced an uneasy smile. "Most of the time, we won't even have that. I once returned a runaway slave to his owner just because the village needed the money. The truth is, us ninja, we're the bad guys."

Naruto shook his head slowly, as if trying to deny it. "But, I… come on, Kakashi-niisan, that doesn't make any sense! We help people! How can we be the bad guys?!"

Kakashi shrugged. "You haven't been assigned anything more than a D-rank… and this cockamamie C-rank turned A-rank. The more experience you get, you'll eventually understand. Little things like finding someone's lost cat are going to turn into spy missions, into killing someone just because they're a threat to Konoha or, worse, there's a paycheck in it for the Hokage. We don't help people, we just help the village. And that often means doing bad things."

Naruto frowned in confusion. "I don't get it, though… if it helps the village, how come it has to hurt other people? I mean, hurting a criminal, that makes sense, but you're describing hurting innocent people! Like Zabuza and Haku."

"Zabuza and Haku weren't innocent," Kakashi said mildly. "There's a difference between good and innocent. I'm not innocent. Soon enough, you won't be either. It's just part of being a ninja." He glanced down at Naruto, then paused guiltily at his upset expression. "I'm not trying to… look, what we do does make people happy. It helps keep people in Konoha safe."

"But at the expense of others." Naruto's voice was small yet firm, and his small fists were clenched in determination. He looked up at Kakashi, and the jounin saw the same look in his blue eyes that he'd seen when he stabbed his own hand to let the poison out, when he'd refused to back down after Zabuza had trapped him in his water prison, when he'd screamed at Zabuza that Haku had died for him, didn't he even _care_…?

"That's not right, Kakashi-niisan. I'll find a way to change that. I'll become Hokage and I'll make that change. We shouldn't take our safety and happiness by hurting everybody else."

Kakashi had no idea why, but he believed him. What Naruto was claiming to be able to change was the entire existence of shinobi, of the five great hidden villages. It was the same thing many hopeful little genins claimed before they were beaten down by life, every last optimistic thought forced out of their little heads.

Perhaps it was because Naruto looked so much like Minato, or maybe that he acted so much like Kushina.

Or like Obito…

_If abandoning my friends makes me be trash in our world, then I'll change that about being a shinobi. _

Obito had died for his belief, and he had sure managed to convince Kakashi.

Obito's eye lived through in him, but maybe his spirit had lived on through Naruto.

So Kakashi curved his eye into a smile and nodded, his voice sincere. "I hope you do, Naruto."

The two walked together in a comfortable silence, then, watching as Sakura flipped her hair over her shoulder and winked and giggled and Sasuke stared stoically ahead. As they came up upon the river where they had first fought Zabuza, Sakura didn't seem to notice, and Sasuke didn't slow, but Naruto paused again and looked back at Kakashi. "Kakashi-niisan, when we get back to Konoha, can you teach me the Sharingan?"

"Hmm? What now? No, I'm afraid not."

Naruto's lips slipped into a pout. "What? But why? I can totally learn it! I'm good enough, I-"

"It's not that, Naruto," Kakashi cut him off quickly, before he could launch into a tirade about how he was a super great ninja who could learn absolutely anything. "You can't just 'learn' the Sharingan. Either you have it or you don't."

"But Sasuke did!" he exclaimed, pointing ahead at their silent teammate. "We were fighting Haku and he just- used it! His eyes turned red and he used it to defeat him!"

Kakashi chuckled nervously as Naruto turned to glare at him. His excuses sounded a bit flimsy, even though they were the truth. "Well, that's because Sasuke awakened his Sharingan. And, before you say that I don't know, you could be able to awaken the Sharingan, too- no, you can't. You have to be born with it, and I happen to know that you weren't."

Naruto crossed his arms in anger and shifted his glare to Sasuke's back. "That's stupid, though. I wanna use it. And why is your Sharingan so different from Sasuke's, anyway? His was in both eyes and yours is only in that one, plus he turned his off and even when you passed out earlier, yours was still there."

"Hmm… well, see, my eye was a gift. And, before you ask, there's no one left who you can get a Sharingan as a gift from." When Naruto's disappointment only seemed to escalate, Kakashi reached down to jokingly ruffle his hair and smiled at him. "What are you so sad for? You can be a great ninja without a Sharingan. Your Iruka-sensei doesn't have one, Sandainme doesn't have one- in fact, only I and Sasuke have one." Kakashi didn't see any reason to mention Itachi; that would only make things worse. "It's a bit of a dying art, you see."

Naruto sighed and straightened out the hair that Kakashi had mussed. He looked upset, though Kakashi couldn't fathom why. Where had these sudden questions about the Sharingan come from? "Oh… well, I just wanted to get to be a really good ninja now. Like, right now. I mean, you beat Zabuza, and Sasuke's really the one who beat Haku… I can't remember what happened after he passed out but I didn't do anything. And you two both have the Sharingan and, well… I wanted to be that good, too."

Oh. So that's what this was about… Sasuke's victory- and his loss- against Haku. He narrowed his eye in confusion. Naruto wasn't really that shallow or obsessed with beating Sasuke. This couldn't be the only reason he was upset. "You will be, someday. Having this eye isn't what made me a skilled ninja; I was a jounin before I got it. Come on, Naruto. What's this really about? You don't need to get really good, right now."

"Yes I do!"

Kakashi blinked at Naruto's abrupt exclamation. The blond looked from his teammates back to him for a moment before he returned his gaze to Sasuke, his expression a curious mix of determination and pain. "I have to, Kakashi-niisan! Haku… Haku could've killed Sasuke. He put him in a near-death state and I thought he was dead, I really did- all because of me. All because I wasn't strong enough. When we won against Zabuza before… you were right, he just underestimated us. I'm just not good enough. What if next time it's Sakura-chan, or you? No!" Naruto shook his head angrily and clenched his fists again. "When I thought Sasuke was dead… I don't want to feel like that again, Kakashi-niisan. I finally have people who care about me and have to be strong enough to protect them. RIght now."

Kakashi softened. He reached down to mess with his hair again, but somehow his hand ended up on Naruto's shoulder. He smiled down at him and allowed his thumb to start moving in small, soothing circles. "There's a reason your jounin-sensei comes along with you on every mission. Well, multiple reasons. The point is, so I can protect you three. And if this hadn't turned A-rank on us, I would've been able to. In the future, I'll make sure we don't take on any missions like this agin until we're ready. You've got time to train and get strong; you don't have to right now."

Kakashi frowned when he saw that Naruto was still focused entirely on Sasuke. But, then, he couldn't really blame him. He remembered how terrible he had felt when Obito had died because he'd tried to protect him… hell, terrible was an understatement. Just because Sasuke had ended up not being dead didn't mean Naruto felt any less responsible or haunted by the memory of Sasuke dying in his arms. He sighed, deciding to try a different tactic. "Hey. Remember what I said when we first fought Zabuza? I told you three that I would never let a teammate die. I meant that. Whether it's just a little D-rank or a dangerous S-rank, if you three are with me, I won't let you die. I promise."

It was relieving to see the tension ease from Naruto's stance, and when the blond glanced up at him, his gaze was a little less miserable and a little more confident than before. "You promise to train us when we get back home? Like, to show me something really cool and strong, like your Chidori, or maybe those eight dogs you made show up out of nowhere?"

Kakashi's eye crinkled in a smile. "I promise to train you guys. Chidori or my dogs… well, we'll see."

"That doesn't work on me anymore, Kakashi-niisan! I know that when you say 'we'll see' you really just mean no!"

"Now, Naruto, that's not true-"

"You two are slow. Kakashi, dobe, hurry up or we'll leave you behind."

Naruto stuck his tongue out at Sasuke and hurried to catch up to him, snapping, "You won't leave us behind! We'll leave you behind, teme! Come on, Niisan, let's show him!"

Kakashi scratched the back of his head, sneaking his hand into his weapon's pouch to feel around for his book. "Maa, now that you mention it, I've got this leg cramp… why don't you go around without me?"

"Come on, Sasuke-teme! I bet I can go faster than you!"

"No one cares-"

"You can not! Sasuke-kun is faster than you!"

"Wha, Sakura-chan, why…"

Kakashi's smile broadened as he watched his team bicker. They sure were a lot of trouble, but he wouldn't trade them for anyone in the world.


	7. Will of Fire

Thank you all for reviewing! Heh… sorry this took so long. But I have negative free time right now. Seriouslllllyllyly. Our band is preparing for the most important concert we have EVER done, not since we've been there, EVER IN THE HISTORY OF THE SCHOOL- First Lady Michelle Obama is coming to our graduation (god knows why she picked our awful school) and it's just been hectic. And AP exams and AP physics mind fuck and air conditioner breaking and… ah hell. I'm panicking just typing this. I'm also completely exhausted and really don't know if this is something that should even be posted or not, but… it's happening. Well, I know you people don't care about me and just want to read :) Can't blame you. So, anyway… This one takes place just after Sandaime's funeral. Meant to include Naruto being mad about Kakashi just training Sasuke for the finals, but… it didn't happen. Enjoy!

Naruto had always found it strange that it seemed to rain when everybody was sad. It was like the skies felt the same emotions as the people and whenever they cried, so did it. l

Only fitting, then, that it would rain so hard on the day of the Hokage's funeral.

Naruto thought back to before everything had just went wrong. Before he'd fought Neji, before that bastard Orochimaru had hurt Sasuke in the Forest of Death, before before before they'd even gone to take those stupid Chuunin Exams. It felt like a lifetime ago.

_I'll be the Fifth Hokage! Believe it!_

The words sounded ridiculously naive now.

The Fifth Hokage? Really?

Naruto remembered how Orochimaru had just brutally crushed him. Not just him, but Sasuke, too. Orochimaru could've just swallowed him and the others of Team Seven whole with that gigantic snake of his without a struggle. And Naruto was quite aware of the fact that he'd already be dead if it weren't for Kyuubi's Chakra.

But, the Third had fought him off.

Naruto had somehow never pictured the old Hokage as actually being a capable fighter. He'd always seen him sitting in the missions room, or walking around the village, or talking with civilians and ninja alike- never had Naruto even once seen him with a weapon in hand. The fact that all Kages weren't just leaders, they were the strongest ninja in their village had just slipped his mind.

And Naruto just couldn't see himself ever fighting as well as the Hokage had. The Third had fought Orochimaru off and even taken all his techniques with him when he died. He had singlehandedly taken on the most monstrous foe Naruto had ever faced, that had made Sasuke tremble in fear and laughed at them all as if they were nothing more than insects for him to step on.

The taste his promise to be Fifth Hokage left in his mouth was sickening, now. Bitter and sick.

Naruto closed his eyes at a flash of lightning. _Sasuke, his hand glowing as he ran to take down Gaara-_

He opened them again and wrapped his arms around himself with a shudder.

"Naruto?"

Naruto raised his head at the familiar voice, shifting to look over his shoulder at Kakashi. The jounin was standing in the doorway, still clad in all black, his silver hair weighed down with water. His uncovered eye was watching him in a mild concern, but there was something about that charcoal gray iris that just seemed very, very tired; tired and world weary. Naruto could only look at it for a moment before it made him the obvious grief made him feel even sadder, so he quickly turned back away to look out the window once again.

He heard Kakashi approach from behind before stopping abruptly. There was an awkward silence, and then Kakashi cleared his throat and spoke up again. "Ah… well, I'll be in my room if you need… something. There's ramen in the fridge."

Naruto nodded slightly, still gazing out dully at the grey sky. After a moment passed in which Kakashi was silent, he swallowed the lump in his throat. "Kakashi-niisan?"

No reply.

Confused, Naruto sat up a bit straighter and looked behind him to only find that Kakashi was gone. As usual, his movements were so silent that, on a better day, when perhaps the sun was shining and people were happy and the _Hokage wasn't dead_, he would've run after Kakashi and begged him to teach him how to be so quiet and stealthy. Now, though, even the thought of doing that drained his energy. He simply didn't care. Kakashi could be as quiet as he wanted to be; he could be as silent as a ghost for all Naruto cared.

He suddenly felt very, very embarrassed to think about how he'd acted a month ago, a week ago, just a few days ago. Back then, all that seemed important was getting stronger so he could show up Sasuke, impress Sakura, and make everyone else acknowledge him. Become Hokage so _no one_ could glare at him and say he was worth nothing.

His insides twisted and he bit his lip. Naruto had to bury his head in his knees to stifle a tiny cry. What had the title of Hokage _really_ meant to him? Had it really just been nothing more than the idea of people looking up to him and acknowledging him?

Being Hokage wasn't supposed to be about him, though. It was supposed to be about the village. It was supposed to be about protecting every single person in the village. No, more than that- caring for them.

Naruto felt the heat rise in his cheeks as he thought back to his earlier, incessant proclamations of becoming the Fifth Hokage. He had never once given that promise with the welfare of Konoha in mind. He'd always given it picturing _himself_, picturing himself in the ceremonial robes and hat with _his_ face up there on the Hokage Mountain, waving at adoring villagers who chanted his name and believed in him and saw him as a person, not a monster…

He had never once pictured himself actually protecting the village.

No wonder people rolled their eyes at him and scoffed when he shouted out a promise to be the next Hokage. Someone like him didn't deserve the position. Someone who only thought of how they would look as Hokage, not of how they could help the village, did not deserve the position.

As if he could protect anybody. He thought of Kakashi, with his fist of lightening and aqueous dragon. Of Iruka, with the wall of earth and stone he'd conjured up out of nowhere on their first day of the Academy, of the way he'd opened up a chasm in the ground with little more than a seal and a great gulp of air. Of Sasuke… Sasuke, who was _his_ age, yet could breathe fire.

And then of himself. What could he do? He could multiply himself into a hundred, walk up trees and across water, and summon giant toads. And he knew full well that summoning Gamabunta would be impossible if it weren't or the creature sealed away inside of him.

If Kakashi, Iruka, and Sasuke weren't fit for the position of Hokage, how could he ever be?

And Naruto had never wanted to advance because of the things Kyuubi made it possible for him to accomplish. He wanted to become Hokage _in spite_ of Kyuubi, not because of it.

Naruto had to fight to swallow the lump in his throat this time. He'd been such an idiot. What kind of Hokage would he make? The Hokage was not just a fancy title. He protected the village, and not only was Naruto absolutely and certainly incapable of that, he hadn't even thought of keeping all those people safe until today.

Slowly, Naruto stood. He moved through the dark and bland hallway, void of anything suggesting a personal touch, his footsteps seeming loud and obtrusive in the otherwise silent home. He walked back to Kakashi's bedroom to find that the door was cracked open, and when he nudged the door open, he found the silver-haired jounin sitting cross-legged in the middle of his bed and gazing down at a picture, his expression unreadable. The picture was the one that Naruto recognized as the only one in the house, the one of Kakashi and his own genin team. He remembered being in awe of how tiny Kakashi was in the picture when he'd first seen it, and the man had simply scratched his temple awkwardly at his exclamations of amazement and told him it was no big deal.

Naruto cleared his throat, then wondered why he had bothered. Kakashi had surely heard him enter; heck, he wouldn't have been surprised if the jounin had known he was coming from when he had first moved off the sill. Still, even at the sound, Kakashi didn't move to greet him or even look at him. He simply kept staring down at the picture, seeming almost forlorn, as he spoke up in a soft, world weary tone that only intensified the aura of grief that seemed to hang over the entire house and the village. "Yes, Naruto?"

Naruto hesitantly made his way further into the room, his gaze jumping from the photo to Kakashi. He walked forward to sit on the edge of his bed. "I, um… well, it's not really the best time, but… I'm sorry."

Kakashi blinked. He slowly raised his head to actually look at Naruto, dark eye narrowed in confusion. "Excuse me?"

He shrugged slightly, now aimlessly tracing small patterns on the shuriken themed blanket, just for something to look at other than that uncomfortable, piercing gaze. "I was thinking, and, well… about all those times I said I would be the next Hokage… I was just stupid. I wasn't thinking about the village, just myself… I'm sorry."

"…Well, I don't think anyone could blame you. The village hasn't exactly given you many reasons for you to care about it."

Naruto frowned. Kakashi didn't sound surprised or judgmental; in fact, his voice just seemed a little bit dead, but nor did he seem to agree with his sentiments. "Well… I mean, yeah… but that's not the point. The Third… he didn't care about anybody liking him or acknowledging him. He just cared about keeping everyone in Konoha safe."

"Hmm." Kakashi slowly, almost regretfully, lowered the picture before shifting to face him. "So, what you're saying is, when you fought Gaara in the forest, you did it to make people like you?"

Naruto blinked. "What? No. But I-"

"You did it to impress Sakura-chan, show Sasuke up, right?"

"No! I thought he was going to kill them!"

"Oh. I see. So, you did it to protect them."

Naruto scowled at the man's backwards logic, glaring down at the blanket. "I know what you're trying to say, Kakashi-niisan, but it's not relevant. When I fought Gaara, it wasn't about becoming Hokage or anything _like_ that- it was just to keep my friends safe."

"Just them? Or Konoha, too?"

Naruto raised his head in surprise at the question. Kakashi was looking at him out of the corner of his eye, absentmindedly stroking the picture frame in his lap. As usual, the man was regarding him with an unreadable expression, one that betrayed nothing of his true emotions but made him feel as if the lazy charcoal eye were scrutinizing him in a way that almost made him uncomfortable. He shifted uneasily. "…What are you talking about?"

"If Gaara had let Sasuke and Sakura go- improbable, I know, but hear me out- let them go, but went on to attack Konoha, what would you have done? Would you have let him?"

"Of course not!"

"And why not?"

Naruto shrugged as if it were obvious. "Sasuke and Sakura-chan… they're important, but they're not the only people I care about. There's Iruka-sensei, and everyone else that graduated with us, and Bushy Brows, and _you_, and the Ho- um… I wouldn't have let Gaara come destroy Konoha. No way. …But that's all aside the point. Sandaime-"

"Sandaime didn't fight for the village because he was friends with every single person in it. He did it because he believe in what this village stands for."

Naruto tilted his head to the side. What Kakashi was saying was suddenly sounding very familiar to the few times the Hokage had spoken with is class in the Academy. He'd talked about a Will of Fire… of protecting the people he cared about no matter what it took, of standing together as a team and fighting for each other, of striving to keep Konoha and the ideals it was built upon alive.

At the time, Naruto remembered some members of his class laughing- him being among them- while others had stared up in awe. Iruka-sensei had blushed and stammered at him and the others to stop laughing while the Hokage had just smiled and told him it was okay… that they would understand someday.

"You know what I'm talking about, Naruto?"

He nodded slowly. "…He talked about it, once or twice. The 'Will of Fire' right?"

Kakashi smiled. "Yeah. And… I see it in you, too. You could make a fine Hokage someday."

"But, you don't understand- when I fought Gaara, it _wasn't_ to protect the village. I mean, I do care about it, but… I did it to keep my friends safe."

Kakashi frowned for a moment, then chuckled quietly. He gave a slow nod and glanced over at Naruto, who just grew confused by the odd look in the man's eye. "…You know, Naruto, you remind me a lot of a boy I once knew. His dream was to become Hokage, too. He said it all the time, just like you- that he was going to become the next Hokage, and that we'd better believe it. He was last in his class at the Academy, loved to play pranks on everyone, and swore he'd come Hokage so everyone would acknowledge him as more than just the loser."

"…Kakashi-niisan, why are you describing me?"

Kakashi chuckled, propping his chin up on his knee. "Yeah, I suppose he's a lot like you- that's rather the point. He's not you, though. …He's a friend of mine from many years ago. Before you were born."

Naruto frowned. "Well, it's pretty obvious he didn't become Hokage."

"No, he didn't. He died before he could."

That made the blond stiffen. His tired expression twisted into one of shock while he sat up a little straighter, eyes going wide. "He _died?_"

Kakashi nodded solemnly. "Yes. He died protecting someone he, for some reason, considered a friend. And, you know what? The Third Hokage, and the man who would become the Fourth Hokage, both told his parents and even his entire clan that he would've been an amazing leader of our village. He died to protect his friends, just like you were willing to do when you fought Gaara. He was called a hero- ended up in the history books and everything. His friends were always at the forefront of his mind, not the village. And that's really what a Hokage is, Naruto. That's what Sandaime, Nidaime, even all the way back to Ichidaime, believed. They wanted to make us, shinobi, something more than a tool. After all, we're all the more powerful when we're fighting for something we love rather than just doing as we're ordered. That's what being a Konoha ninja really is… what being a Hokage is."

Kakashi paused, already soft voice trailing off into nothing. After a moment, his visible eye curved up into a smile, but it seemed force. He scratched the back of his head uncomfortably. "Maa… sorry. My sensei was Yondaime. He had quite a lot to say on the subject, and I find myself quoting him without even realizing it. But, Naruto, whoever you want to believe, me or him- it makes no difference. There are many people unsuited to be Hokage, and not just because of lack of skill; you are not one of them. So you made a mistake in wanting to be Hokage just be acknowledged; whatever, you were young and naive and had every reason to think that way. …I think Sandaime himself would be proud that you've come this far. I know I am."

Kakashi's eye crinkle was still forced, but it was a bit less painful to look at than before. Naruto stared at him for a moment, then released the breath he hadn't released he'd been holding, letting go of the hard knot of pain in his chest as he did so. He really didn't know how Kakashi was so good at making him feel better- even better than Iruka. But he wasn't going to complain.

After a moment passed in companionable silence, Naruto glanced at Kakashi out of the corner of his eye and cleared his throat. "Hey, Niisan?"

"Mmm?"

"…About that friend of yours, the one who you said was so much like me. Can you tell me more about him? He sounds cool."

Kakashi smirked beneath his mask. "Oh, really. What if I'd compared him to Sasuke instead of you? Would you still think he's cool?"

"Hey! I didn't say that because you compared him to me, Niisan!" Naruto protested, blue eyes widening. "I'm being serious!"

"Maa, maa, I know. I'm just teasing." Kakashi's eye curved up again before he gave a thoughtful sigh, seeming a bit distant, lost in memories. "Hmm… ah, I know. He would've done anything for a date with the pretty, bold girl he knew from the Academy, he couldn't put up with the moody, angst-filled kid on the team, and… oh, yes! He absolutely loved ramen."


	8. Sasuke's Revenge: Part One

Thank you all for reviewing! This takes place at the end of the Search for Tsunade arc, after Naruto learns Rasengan and Kakashi is healed by Tsunade. I'm sure you can tell by this chapter that I am not a fan of Narusaku… Sakunaru… those two characters anywhere near each other… And love me some good Sasunaru… Oh! And spoilers for anime-watchers. Anyway, this chapter name is 'Part One' because, well, I shall continue it with the Valley of the End. This sets up the Sasuke's leaving. Well... enjoy.

"Are you sure that you should be doing this?"

"For the last time, yes. Now either help me or go away."

Naruto grimaced, but, nevertheless, he just tightened his grip on Kakashi's waist and continued to help him move across the rooftops. The jounin was leaning almost entirely on him, exhausted and near emaciated body disused to movement. He really shouldn't have been out of the hospital, but when Kakashi had stood and began to make his escape out the window, Naruto had had two options- either help him, or watch him fall two stories to land flat on his face.

That was how Naruto had ended up half-carrying a man that was twice his size across the rooftops to his rat sized apartment. Naruto was really just relieved to see him awake and moving, no matter how tired he seemed, and so helping him escape the hospital didn't worry him nearly as much as it should. Technically, Tsunade hadn't told him to stay in the hospital, so,_ technically_, they weren't breaking any rules.

Naruto jumped when Kakashi stumbled, nearly slipping off their precarious position onto the icy street below. He barely managed to snag the jounin's wrist in time. "Niisan!" he cried, yanking him back upright, though his worry was wasted- the man just sighed and continued running. "Slow down!"

"What, can't keep up?"

Naruto glared. "You know that's not the problem."

Kakashi's eye just curved into a tired arc of fake glee, and, together, he and Naruto jumped down from the last rooftop to land on the stairs leading up to Kakashi's apartment. "You do know that Tsunade-obaachan is going to probably kill you for this."

Kakashi gave him a look, even as his hand glowed blue and he began to disarm his many traps. "No, but I'm surprised she doesn't kill you for calling her 'obaachan'."

"No, she's really actually old! She's not as young as she looks, Niisan!"

"…I know that. But women don't particularly… particularly like…" Kakashi broke off as he yawned again, and then Naruto nearly shoved him inside and pointed back to his bedroom like a drill sergeant.

"Go to bed. Now."

"Maa, Naruto, you shouldn't speak to your elders like that." But, even as he spoke, Kakashi padded off to his bedroom, dragging his feet, fingers fumbling at the small line of stitches connecting his mask to his shirt. Naruto watched him as protectively as a parent until he stumbled out of sight, then nodded in satisfaction.

These past several weeks, his mind had been on Kakashi and Sasuke. He hadn't been able to stop seeing Itachi making Sasuke scream with just one single look from those scarlet eyes, making him fall to the ground as if dead… and substituting Kakashi in his place. His anger at Tsunade when the stubborn woman had first refused to return with them to Konoha- he'd wanted to drag her back kicking and screaming. And the very idea of her becoming Hokage, the woman who had scoffed at the Third and said it was a stupid title without any worth- it sickened him. She didn't even give a damn about it, about the title or the village, and the idea of her becoming the next Hokage had seemed horrible.

He'd fought to learn the Rasengan to get Sasuke and Kakashi better and stop her from spitting on the title of Hokage. He hadn't cared less about whether or not she would return to the village and actually take up charge.

But then, he'd finally made his Chakra spiral and spin and he'd slammed it into Kabuto's chest _for_ Tsunade, because she had fought to kill Orochimaru, and any enemy of Orochimaru's was a friend of his. And then he'd learned about Dan and Nawaki and understood her a little bit more, and by the fight's end, he could think of no other choice for the position of Hokage.

Naruto smiled as he moved about the shabby apartment, occasionally swiping at the fine film of dust that had accumulated in Kakashi's long absence. He had never doubted her skills as a healer, but the moment Sasuke had sat upright in bed as if nothing was wrong was the moment that his heart was put at ease. He'd been so happy to see his friend awake- awake and not screaming, as he had been during whatever Itachi had done to him… but then Sakura had thrown her arms around him and started to sob into his shoulder.

Sasuke hadn't responded with any affection whatsoever, but still, being brushed aside like that had hurt. Naruto hadn't been looking for gratitude, seeing Sasuke okay was thanks enough, but Sakura hadn't even looked at him. She'd just begged Tsunade to help Sasuke and then all her attention was on him.

He hadn't just missed Sasuke and Kakashi these past few weeks. He'd missed her, too. He'd been thrilled to see her, but she hadn't even seemed to notice he was there.

Naruto shook his head and forced himself to smile, but it hurt. That was how Team Seven had always been. Sasuke, cold and indifferent to both him and Sakura, and Sakura's affection and praise always steadfastly directed at Sasuke. If she noticed he was there with them at all, it would be to chastise and scold him.

But, Sasuke and Kakashi were okay, the village had a Hokage, and Sakura was happy. That was all that mattered.

Finally satisfied that Kakashi's apartment was clean of the bugs and dust that had invaded over the course of the past month, Naruto moved towards the kitchen to see just what the jounin had that was remotely edible. His few perishables had, indeed, perished, which left a green loaf of bread and a moldy apple to be disposed of- Naruto found himself shaking his head at the man's pitiable reserves. All that was left were a few containers of instant ramen, the supplies that Kakashi always had in the house for when Naruto stayed over.

He pulled out two dinners and began to heat them up, assuming Kakashi would be hungry. He would be, too, if he'd been in a coma for a month. In fact, he was a bit surprised that Kakahsi's first destination had been a bed and not a ramen stand. But the man had barely made it back to his apartment before passing out… maybe it was sleep that he needed, not food.

Naruto devoured his own meal in the space of a minute, then took Kakashi's back to his bedroom and knocked lightly on the closed door. "Niisan?"

There was no reply, so he gingerly nudged the door open and poked his head inside curiously. Kakashi was curled up on his side, uniform shirt discarded in favor of his sleeveless ANBU top, mask still pulled up to his nose. His headband lay on a nearby table next to his only two photographs, rough silver hair in disarray without it holding it back, scarred eye hidden in a pillow. He looked far more peaceful than he had when Naruto had seen him at the hospital before Tsunade had healed him, none of that dead stillness of a long coma.

Naruto smiled at the sight of Kakashi so relaxed and almost didn't want to wake him. He could just eat Kakashi's dinner himself and make him another one later, when he was awake. Naruto was about to backtrack out of the room but hesitated when Kakashi rolled onto his side and muttered something into the raggedy pillow. "Kakashi-niisan?"

"…S-stop… please…"

Naruto stiffened in horror. It wasn't the words so much as his tone. Kakashi's voice was terrified, tortured… pleading.

Kakashi was pleading.

He had never, _ever_ heard his Kakashi-niisan plead.

"Not again…"

Naruto stared, rooted to the spot. Kakashi shifted again, his masked expression now twisted in agony. He had never seen Kakashi like this before. It took another low cry of pain to get him to spring forward, launching himself onto the edge of the bed and latching onto Kakashi's arm. "Niisan!" he cried, pulling on him anxiously. "Niisan, it's okay, wake up, it's just a dream, Kakashi-niisan, ple-"

Naruto's airways were choked off in a blur of motion. His head slammed back into the bed and one hand was wrapped around his throat, the other pinning an icy kunai to his flesh. Kakashi's eyes were wild and unfocused, red Sharingan spinning so fast he couldn't track it, and he looked ready to kill. Naruto fought back before he was aware of what was happening, kicking up at Kakashi and reaching down to grab his own kunai from its holster as Kakashi snarled and squeezed tighter.

Kakashi knocked the kunai from his hand with one swift jab and Naruto coughed, beginning to wheeze. "N-N-Niisan!"

Kakashi let out a harsh breath as his eye began to spin slower, but his grip on Naruto's throat didn't loosen, and the dark killing intent in his mismatched gaze didn't once falter.

Naruto's vision was just beginning to go black when he could suddenly breathe again.

He gasped, wheezing frantic breaths down his raw throat until he could see again. With Kakashi no longer on top of him, he took in great, greedy gulps of air, fighting to breathe, then finally managed to turn onto his side. Kakashi was sitting on the very edge of his bed, hands fisted in the blanket so tight his knuckles were white. He hung his head and was gasping for breath, shoulders and taut back muscles trembling.

When Naruto's frantic breaths slowed to the point where he was no longer in danger of passing out, he managed to push himself upright. He reached out with a shaking hand to touch Kakashi, but the man flinched the moment they made contact and shifted away from him. "Kakashi… Kakashi-niisan?" His voice was so hoarse it was hardly audible and his throat burned like fire to talk.

"I'm so… so sorry, Naruto." Kakashi's speech was hardly more than a small murmur, but at least it symbolized a complete return with reality. "Oh, god. G-god damn it, I t-told you, never wake me wh-wh-when I'm having a nightmare."

Naruto stared in horror. Only now did he remember what Kakashi had told him one night two years ago, when he had slept over at the jounin's place the same night he'd returned home from a long mission. Kakashi had paused, then touched him on the shoulder and implored that Naruto not interfere if he had a nightmare- that it was very, very important that he just stay in his room and not try to wake him up.

Now he knew why.

He hesitantly sat upright and moved a little closer to Kakashi. He reached up to touch him, then thought better of it and dropped his hand. "I- I know, but I saw you and I thought… are you all right?"

Kakashi abruptly twisted to stare at him in fury. "What the fuck do you mean, 'are you all right'? I just tried to strangle you and _you're_ asking _me_ if I'm all right?!"

Naruto flinched back. It certainly wasn't the first time he'd ever heard Kakashi swear, but it was definitely the first time the man had ever cursed _at_ him. The wild, angry look in his eyes- that was a new one, too. He'd never seen Kakashi look at him like that before.

Kakashi stared him down for one long, terrible moment before he shook his head abruptly and stood, crossing across the room to slam a fist into the wall so hard the wood splintered. "…Just tell me you're okay, Naruto."

"…Yeah. Yeah, I'm fine."

Kakashi released a heavy, shuddering breath. He hunched his shoulders, still shaking, then turned away from the wall and took another step forward, then stopped, staring. Naruto crawled to the other side of the bed to see what he was looking at, then realized it was the small container of instant ramen that he must have thrown to the floor sometime in the struggle.

"…What?"

Naruto clenched the blanket awkwardly. "Um, well, I thought you might be hungry, so…"

Kakashi paused, then just shook his head and knelt to clean the mess up. He didn't say a word, but as Naruto crouched on the edge of the bed to watch, he noticed more was wrong with Kakashi than could be expected- even considering he'd just woken up from a nightmare.

He was cleaning up the hot broth and noodles with a swath of dark cloth- his shirt, which he had removed. But he was only taking care of the mess with one hand; the other was slowly tracing patterns along his pale ribcage as if subconsciously searching for injuries. Naruto could see his bare chest and found only old scars- no new injuries. Still, Kakashi winced with every probing touch, as if he were digging fingers into fresh wounds that were bleeding and raw.

His mind traveled back to Sasuke, screaming as if he'd been set on fire when there was nothing physically wrong with him. He'd asked Jiraiya about it later, and the man had said Sasuke had likely been tortured while under the genjutsu, Itachi stretching out time and causing the illusion of pain with his eyes.

Had he done the same thing to Kakashi…? Was that why he seemed to be searching for wounds that weren't there? Injuries that Itachi had inflicted on him in this mysterious _Tsukuyomi?_

Naruto opened his mouth to speak, then fell silent to watch as, with a blur of fingers, Kakashi had a thin stream of pressurized water emerging from his mouth to hit what remained of the food stains on the floor. And then, with another seal, he breathed a tiny flame of fire and the dampness in the wood evaporated, vanishing.

Kakashi let his mask pool around his neck instead of pulling it up and stood, slinging the ruined shirt over his shoulder and slumping out of the room. Naruto didn't comment on the mask- he had seen his face before, after all, even if the occasions were rare- and followed, watching as the jounin tossed ihis shirt into the trash and dragged himself into the kitchen. Kakashi immediately dropped his weary body into a chair as if he lacked the strength to remain upright any longer.

Naruto moved towards the fridge, gesturing slightly. "I can make you some more, if you want?"

It took a long while for Kakashi to shake his head, the slightest of movements, and murmur, "No, thank you. I'm not hungry."

Naruto frowned. "Are you sure? I mean, you haven't actually had a real meal in a while…"

Once again, it took a long time to draw a response out of the man, and, once again, it was in the negative. "I'm sure, Naruto."

With a shrug, Naruto sat down across from Kakashi, watching him out of the corner of his eye. "Okay, Kakashi-niisan," he said easily. "But tell me if you change your mind."

"…Mmm."

Naruto grimaced at his characteristically ambiguous response, and his worry only increased when the Copy Ninja slid down to pillow his head in his arms. He opened his mouth to say that maybe Kakashi should just go back to bed, but the jounin began talking before he could get a word in.

"So, tell me. How'd you track down Tsunade? Last I heard, she was roaming about and losing everything in gambling."

Kakashi watched sleepily as Naruto, eagerly enough, launched into a tale of training and perverted escapades and drunken challenges. He managed to pay attention for a few minutes, but the boy's excited musings quickly lulled him to sleep once again.

When he woke up again, Naruto was still talking a mile a minute, gesticulating excitedly while pacing around his small kitchen. "…And so Orochimaru and Ero-sennin were fighting and I used it for the first time against Kabuto, I pulled it off, Kakashi-niisan, I did a Rasengan! Kabuto couldn't believe it and later on, Jiraiya was so proud, he said he knew I could do it..."

Kakashi raised his head as Naruto's rambling continued. It sounded like he'd woken up in the middle of a climax of an action movie. Orochimaru, Kabuto, and Rasengan? None of those things had any place on a mission to find Tsunade. Well, Orochimaru had a habit of turning up in things that were absolutely not his business and Kabuto apparently tagged along with him, but… Rasengan? He cleared his throat and spoke up. "Um, Rasengan? Don't you mean that Jiraiya did a Rasengan?"

Naruto blinked, as if noticing Kakashi was in the room for the first time, then turned to roll his eyes and exclaim, "Haven't you been _listening_, Kakashi-niisan? I told you how hard that training was!"

Kakashi winced. He remembered the Rasengan training, all right. He also remembered it taking him longer than just a few weeks, but Naruto had only been gone so long… "You learned Rasengan?" he asked, still in disbelief.

"_Yes!_ What, you don't believe me? I'll show you!"

"Wait, Naruto-"

"_Kage Bunshin no justu!"_

Kakashi blinked, but his confusion was only lasted for a moment. Naruto's clone stabbed the air above his original's outstretched hand and then, to his shock, a spiraling orb of bright blue Chakra appeared above his palm.

_A Rasengan?!_

Naruto smiled proudly up at him, and Kakashi remained dumbfounded for a moment before he sighed and nodded. "Okay, okay, I believe you. But please, let the jutsu dissipate and don't use it to demolish my apartment."

Naruto, thankfully, didn't slam his Rasengan into anything and just let it disappear, and Kakashi relaxed, his apartment now safe. "Sorry, Naruto. It's just, it took Jiraiya and Sensei so long to master that jutsu… I didn't think you could have learned it so quickly."

Naruto shrugged awkwardly. "Well, Ero-sennin said it was probably because I can use my shadow clones to speed up the process… it was still really hard to learn, though. It was so hard to make the Chakra go how I needed it to."

"Trust me, I know. It took me almost a month to use it and I was even aided by my Sharingan."

"_What?!_"

Kakahsi blinked, looking down at Naruto in surprise. The boy looked shocked and almost angry, and when he just raised an eyebrow questioningly, he began gesturing frantically as he cried, "Ero-sennin said no one but him and the Fourth could use it! What the hell? How come you can use it, too?!"

He chuckled, amused. "Well, he probably left me out because I copied it. Sensei trained me for over a year and I never managed it, but then I got the Sharingan and just copied it."

Naruto was still staring at him in disbelief, so Kakashi just shrugged and held out a hand. "I'm a bit tired, but, let's see here…"

When the dark apartment was lit up by the light of yet another Rasengan, Naruto stared for a moment, then deflated and rolled his eyes. "Okay, okay, I get it, Kakashi-niisan. Hmph."

Kakashi let the jutsu dissipate, then frowned and sat down again, across from Naruto. "…It's still an amazing accomplishment that you can use it," he said after a moment, trying to lift Naruto's mood or at least get a smile back on his face. "It's definitely not something just anyone can pull off."

"It's not that. …Kakashi-niisan… um, about Sasuke and Itachi- do you think that Sasuke will ever… Sasuke will ever… be strong enough to kill him?"

Kakashi stared. Naruto's happy mood had abruptly vanished to be replaced by worry and anxiety, two emotions that had never suited him well. He looked almost sad and nervous, and Kakashi had to wonder just what had gone wrong to turn the previously simply discussion onto his path. "Maybe, maybe. But where did that come from?"

He shrugged. "Well… it's still really hard to use Rasengan. I have to concentrate a lot. But when you and Ero-sennin do it, it looks effortless. And you said it's so hard to learn… you two are such great ninja, but Itachi beat both of you. And Sasuke's set on fighting him."

Kakashi sighed deeply. For Sasuke to truly stand any kind of chance against Itachi, he had to awaken Mangekyou Sharingan. There was no other solution. But, Kakashi was almost entirely certain that, to accomplish that, Sasuke would have to kill Naruto.

_Hand glowing with lightening and black with blood-_

_Brown eyes wide with surprise-_

_Rin slumping over onto him-_

Kakashi shivered and forced those images out of his mind. What had happened with Rin was not going to repeat itself. And Sasuke was willing to go to the ends of the earth to murder Itachi, but Kakashi was quite sure that he wouldn't be able to bring himself to kill Naruto.

Neither would he give up on pursuing Itachi, either…

It was a double edged sword, and Kakashi could see no viable solution. Yes, if he had faced Itachi one on one, he never would have risked trying to beat his genjutsu and, instead, would have just avoided eye contact at all costs- it would have put him at a severe disadvantage, but he could have survived without being incapacitated. With a Sharingan in both eyes and greater Chakra reserves, Sasuke could surely at least put up a fight, even without Mangekyou.

But putting up a fight wasn't enough for Sasuke. He wanted to kill Itachi with his own bare hands.

Kakashi hesitated for a mount longer before he cleared his throat. "First, Itachi did not 'beat' Jiraiya. He fought Jiraiya two on one and still ended up fleeing for his life. He and his partner were unable to take you from him. That alone says something. Besides, Jiraiya-sama simply isn't a good match for Itachi; unless he's changed, he's somewhat hopeless with genjutsu. That happens to be Itachi's strong point. Sasuke has the ability to become strong enough to fight Itachi."

This didn't seem to be enough to put the blond's worries at ease. Instead, he just looked away, shifting uncomfortably in his chair until he managed to clear his throat to speak. "…He dodged Sasuke's Chidori, though. That his strongest move. …_Your_ strongest move. And you two move so fast when you use it… but Itachi just dodged it like it was nothing. He's so strong, Niisan…"

Kakashi frowned. "Listen to me, Naruto. His Sharingan is just more developed than Sasuke's- that means it was easier for him to dodge it. Sasuke's will reach that point, too. You don't need to worry, Naruto… if anyone is capable of killing Itachi, it is Sasuke. He has the Sharingan and the true body of the Uchiha. That's enough."

Kakashi couldn't help but fear that he was lying, though.

He knew, full well, that he was going to have to begin to train to use his own Mangkeyou. As he was now, he could do little more than activate it before passing out- that was going to have to change. The pressure had actually been on for him to do so for years, ever since the Uchiha had been slaughtered and he was the last living user of the Sharingan loyal to Konoha- it was only his truly dreadful stamina and Sandaimne that had prevented him from receiving an actual order to do so.

But Itachi had just utterly destroyed him. Kakashi knew it couldn't be phrased any better than that. He had to be ready for if- no, _when_- it happened again.

Because Itachi could come after Sasuke, and the entire Akatsuki could come after Naruto, and Kakashi would be dammed if he let anything happen to them.

He reached up to trace the cold, rough flesh of his scar. He had never wanted to learn to use his Mangekyou… but, it had come at the expense of Rin's life. Just as his Sharingan had come at the expense of Obito's. If he could use it to keep his teammates safe, then how could he be selfish enough not to? He owed to his team. …Both of them.

"…so, what do you think, Kakashi-niisan?"

Kakashi started. "Um, what did you say?"

Naruto shrugged morosely. "I asked if you thought we could convince Sasuke not to go after Itachi."

Kakashi stared down at him in shock.

The blond's head was propped up on his arms, cerulean eyes dark with worry. He was staring off into the distance, a look of pain far beyond his fears rearranging his features into an uncertain mask. When he spoke again, his voice was small and anxious, filled with care and fear for a friend. "…I don't know… I mean, I know that Itachi hurt Sasuke. A lot. But he's got us now, right? I just- I don't want him to waste everything trying to kill Itachi and I'm worried that if they fight again, then Itachi will… will kill him. He's so strong… I know he'll hurt Sasuke and I don't know if he'll be strong enough to get out alive.

"I don't want him to die, Niisan."

Kakashi flinched.

Once upon time, a young, energetic boy labeled as Dead Last, dead set on becoming Hokage, had become just _dead_ to protect the cold, emotionless bastard of the team.

That couldn't happen to Naruto… could it?

Kakashi forcefully cleared his throat and made himself shift to look Naruto in the eye. "You're not a kid anymore. I'm not going to lie to you and just say 'everything will be okay' But I can promise that Sasuke won't die, not while I can help it."

"But you can't fight Itachi either, Niisan!"

"…There's a doujutsu I've put off training to use. Put it off for years. I can guarantee that the next time Itachi and I fight, I won't be such a pushover. But that's not the point. I've seen enough of my teammates die. You and Sasuke aren't going to be killed by the Akatsuki or anybody else… I promise."

Naruto shifted uneasily. The time had long passed since Kakashi could make easy promises to keep him safe and instantly silence all of his fears. No matter what the jounin said, Naruto knew that, this time, everything couldn't be fixed with a simple oath that they would all be all right. If Itachi and Kakashi met again, he knew that there was a possibility that Kakashi would wind up being tortured into a coma. _Again_.

The same was true with Sasuke.

For one brief, childish moment, Naruto couldn't help but wish that Itachi would just leave them all alone. Hadn't he hurt Sasuke enough? Hadn't he hurt _everyone_ enough? Why did he have to keep coming back and making them all suffer?

But he was a shinobi, not a kid, and he knew that things just didn't work like that.

"…Kakashi-niisan, you're not allowed to die, either."

A moment passed in silence, and then his eye curved up into a tired smile.

The next moment, Kakashi yawned, and then Naruto was standing and hauling the man to his feet as well. He pointed in the direction on his bedroom and ordered, "Go!"

"Maa, Naruto, it was just a yawn-"

"You're still tired, I knew it! Get in there!"

Kakashi sighed but cheerfully gave a two-finger salute as he stood and began slouching off to his bedroom, eye drooping as if he could barely keep it open. "I don't know when I started taking orders from twelve year olds…"

"When I realized you sucked at taking care of yourself! Now, get in there- and I'll be back later to make sure you're _actually_ sleeping!"

Kakashi gave a sleepy chuckle while Naruto grinned, the depressed discussion taking a turn for the better. But it was a cheap ending, and they both knew it. Nothing had actually been resolved. Sasuke's vendetta against Itachi was still all too real, the threat of the Akatsuki against him was still there, and Kakashi had only given his usual promise that he would stop them from dying.

But Kakashi had always kept that promise. On every single mission they went on, Kakashi seemed to appear when it was just almost too late, his only goal to keep his team safe.

Sasuke and his sworn oath against Itachi, versus Kakashi and his vow to keep his friends alive.

Sasuke and his sworn oath again Itachi, versus Naruto and his steadfast refusal to let him get hurt any more than he already had.

Surely, Naruto thought, between him and Kakashi, they could keep Sasuke safe.


	9. Sasuke's Revenge: Part two

Thank you for reviewing! Though it's not like I would know if you did/didn't, since the site's email system is down. Well, anyway. My head's not exactly... eh... clear right now. Getting very sick and AP exams can do that to a girl. Sasuke leaving also is... not my favorite part of Naruto, I'll put it that way. But I can't just ignore it, so I wrote for it. I hope you enjoy it.

* * *

Kakashi ignored Tsunade calling back to him. He just ran for the village gate, hearing nothing but his own heart pounding in his ears.

He had known something was wrong the moment the new Hokage's face had darkened when he had nonchalantly asked where Naruto was. It was after the return of a grueling A-rank, and she had been in the process of handing him a scroll for another one when her hazel eyes had narrowed and looked away, fingers tightening slightly around the orders they held.

And now she was calling him back to do his duty for the village. But his duty was for his precious people first. Then his village.

_Sasuke… I had hoped you wouldn't do this… _

Kakashi shuddered when he remembered his lie to Sakura. _Everything will be okay. I promise. _He had known it was a lie when he'd said it. But he hadn't been able to help it; he had wanted to hang onto his team, his _second_ team for as long as he could. It was already in danger of drifting apart and he had just promised that it wouldn't-

And then it had.

Kakashi shook his head, watching as his pack of dogs spread out from Konoha, all on the hunt for Naruto's trail. Well, he just wouldn't let it. Sasuke was not gone yet

* * *

_Please let me get there in time. _

"His scent's fading, Boss. WIth this rain, we won't be able to smell it for long."

Kakashi responded by moving faster.

He wouldn't let it happen again. Not to himself… and not to Naruto, either.

He would not let it happen again.

_Please let me get there in time._

* * *

He did not get there in time.

All that he found was Naruto and a hitai-ate with a slash through it. The headband smelled like Sasuke.

Kakashi stood there for a moment. His body refused to cooperate; he just stood there in the pouring rain. The world crashed down around his ears, and for a moment, he thought he was dying.

"The Uchiha's trail keeps going from here, Boss. He was bleeding so it's easy, even in the rain. Do you want to keep going?"

Kakashi stared down at Naruto for a moment, then nodded and formed the seal for a shadow clone in the same moment.

He wasn't letting this team fall apart. Naruto would not go through what he did.

* * *

"Sasuke."

The dark-haired Uchiha did not turn around. He stood there, rain licking down his back and soaked clothes, dripping on the mud around him. He stopped at Kakashi's voice, though did not seem too surprised. "Are you going to try and stop me now, too?"

"Yes."

"Hn." At this, the boy did turn around, appraising with him with black eyes that hid their true power. They widened for a second, and then he smirked. "We're in Sound territory now, and you look like you just came back from a difficult mission. You-"

"I know I can't take you back against your will. I'm tired- and also a clone. I'm sure Kabuto is on his way to find out what's taking you so long. I wouldn't be able to fight him without taking a hit."

Sasuke crossed his arms. "I'm impatient, Kakashi. If you're not here to stop me, then leave."

"I am here to stop you. I know that you're not hopeless or a lost cause."

"Really?" Sasuke asked coldly, and he smirked again. "Do tell, then. Because I have nothing left for you or Naruto."

"Then why is he still alive?"

The Uchiha paused, then simply shook his head. "There was no reason for me to kill him. I defeated him. I wanted to beat him, not kill him."

Kakashi tilted his headband up above his Sharingan and tapped the skin below the fearsome eye. Sasuke's expression darkened at the sight, and Kakashi nodded slightly. "Stop lying. I know that you know about the Mangekyou. You know how to get it. You could have killed him, and yet you did not."

Sasuke's eyes widened in disbelief. He sucked in a breath of air, then shook his head firmly. "I don't need those eyes to kill my brother. I won't become a- a monster like him in order to kill him. I didn't leave Naruto alive because I _care about him_, I left him alive because there was no reason to kill him. I don't want to kill anyone that is not Itachi."

"Do you really think that _that_ will give you peace? Do you really think that the moment he is dead, you will be happy?"

Sasuke scoffed loudly at that. He gestured around the darkness before jabbing a pale finger at him. "You sound just like Sakura. You think that I care about being happy?! You think my goal in life is to be happy, that that's why I'm doing this?! Hn. None of you could ever understand. What have you lost? You told me that night that you've lost anyone who ever meant anything to you. If that's true, then how can you truly think that my goal in this life is to be _happy?_ What have you lost, huh?! What have you lost that was so dammed _important_ to you, but you can't understand why I have to do this?!"

Kakashi took a step forward, withdrawing the tanto from his back in a flash of silver. "This is from my father. He killed himself because of Konoha." He raised his other hand to point at his red eye. "This is from my teammate, Uchiha Obito. He died to save me and our other teammate. He gave me this so I would always remember to never place a mission above a friend again. " He took a deep breath, concentrated, and managed to activate Mangekyou for just a second before the drain was too much, and he let it fade away. Sasuke's expression twisted in shock. "This is from my other teammate, Nohara Rin. She died to keep Konoha safe." He turned and pointed back where they had come from, to the Valley of the End. "Naruto- he is from my sensei, Yondaimne Hokage. He died to keep Konoha safe, too."

Sasuke was too busy staring at his Sharingan eye to react at Yondaimne's name. Kakashi stepped forward again. "I have lost people, Sasuke. But I didn't throw my life away on revenge. Do you think you're the only one who knows what loss is? In a village full of ninja, that _you_ are the only one who has lost anything?"

Sasuke's expression betrayed nothing. No change of heart, no anything at all that Kakashi wanted to see. Because he would not let Naruto lose his team, too. The Uchiha watched him for a moment, then turned his back and scoffed loudly. "Hn. Is that all?" But his voice was trembling ever so slightly, and Kakashi moved forward with it.

"You said that none of us could ever understand. But what you really mean is that none of us are as selfish as you're being now, right?"

Sasuke spun on his heel, twisting back around to face him with a slightly mad look in his black eyes. "Shut up!" he yelled, crazed voice echoing around the forest. It brought silence, the only noise now the pouring rain.

Kakashi stood there and watched him. He felt his Chakra pull and stretch back to the original and knew he didn't have long before he was dispelled. But Sasuke still didn't want to come back home, and Kakashi wasn't leaving until he did.

The silence lasted a moment longer before Sasuke shook his head. "Naruto… he said that he 'understood'. But he doesn't. How could he? He's never lost anyone. Always having no one is infinitely preferable to having everyone and losing it all." His voice betrayed contempt and scorn, but it also shook again, carrying the weight of what Itachi had done and the loss of his family.

"Yes," Kakashi agreed, "it is. And Naruto _has_ never lost anyone. …Until now."

Sasuke rolled his eyes. "I'm not so important to your team. The fact that you sent a clone after me and the real one with Naruto proves that. I'm just the afterthought-"

"Excuse me for making sure Naruto lived. You know, since you attacked him and all."

Sasuke frowned, then waved him off, preparing to turn away again. "Whatever. Even if I was this integral part of your team, which I'm not, it wouldn't matter now. I think trying to kill someone puts a damper on that, don't you?" Kakashi stared as the Uchiha began to once again walk into the dark forest, leaving him and Konoha behind. He couldn't bring himself to hate Sasuke, or even be angry with him. As Sasuke left, he saw a silver-haired masked boy who turned his back on his friends, who ignored the fact that his team cared about him until they are already dead. A boy who wouldn't let his sensei help him, who had closed his eyes and believed he didn't need it or wasn't worth it, until…

"Do you really think so little of Naruto?"

Sasuke stopped at Kakashi's cold question. He didn't turn around, but he did halt.

"Naruto won't hate you _because_ he knows how precious bonds are. Because he grew up without any. Now that he finally has people who care about him- _people like you, Sasuke-_ do you think Naruto will just throw them away and forget about them, about you? Do you truly think so little of him?"

Sasuke stood still as Kakashi approached from behind, voice rising as lightening crackled and thunder roared.

"And you are not an _integral part of our team_, Sasuke. You are our friend."

Sasuke stiffened.

"So if you want to try and throw this away, then do it knowing that we- that _Naruto_ will never give up on you and let you go. Do it knowing that you are taking from him what Itachi took from you."

Sasuke did not move. Kakashi took another step forward, hardly daring to hope.

"The question I am asking you, Sasuke, is _is it worth it?_ Are the people who are dead more important to you than the ones who are alive?"

Sasuke still did not move. Kakashi chanced another step, reaching out his hand. Sasuke was so close, close enough to touch and bring back-

The Uchiha stepped out of the way the moment his hand tried to come down to rest on his shoulder. The boy looked behind him, expression nothing but hate, and it killed every last shard of hope Kakashi had. "You and Naruto have each other. Sakura has her family. I have no one. You will survive without me. …We were hardly friends, at best. But the idea that I could have this, a team, fam-… it made me weak. It allowed me to think I could have something else, a life beyond the one that I lived for the people who are dead. But I can not live while Itachi is alive- I know that much. And these bonds with you, they made me weaker. They allowed me to go grow content with what I had. Staying in Konoha with- with _you_ would've kept me too weak to ever kill Itachi. And if I am able to just be content while he lives, that is a disrespect to my parents- and my clan. It means that they weren't important enough to me to even avenge their deaths. And no matter what you say, Kakashi, you are not more important to me than all of my family."

Kakashi stared numbly as his- his _former_ student turned away and began to walk into the way for the last time. His hand still hovered in the air in the spot where Sasuke's shoulder had been.

"Goodbye, Kakashi."

* * *

Kakashi felt the clone's memories return to him just as Naruto's head twitched on his shoulder. He came to a brief halt on a branch, then shook his head and continued moving.

"Ka… Kakashi… niisan?"

Kakashi tightened his grip on Naruto's leg in answer.

"Is Sasuke…?"

Kakashi stayed quiet.

Naruto didn't need a reply. His silence was enough. He let out a defeated sigh, head drooping against his shoulder again. "I see…"

When Kakashi felt Naruto slip into unconsciousness again, he realized, well and true, that his second team had just broken beyond repair.

* * *

Kakashi didn't know why he couldn't stay away.

He would lurk in the shadows, unnoticed and unheard, when visitors came by. Naruto's beloved Iruka-sensei and his new teacher, Jiraiya, and Sakura, and Hinata, and the whole Rookie Twelve-

_Eleven-_

came by the hospital to visit their friend. And the whole time, he lurked away, guilt thick in his throat and regret heavy on his heart.

Iruka was hesitant and unsure of himself. He spoke quietly and awkwardly, and it was clear he was hurting, too. One of his first students had gone missing nin just barely six months after graduation, and his favorite Naruto was missing the boy he had come to see as a brother. The Academy sensei was sad, though he tried to hide it, and his visit didn't help as much as Kakashi had hoped it would.

Jiraiya was understanding and full of nods and sighs, and his visit consisted of many dark trips down memory lane that Kakashi was sure the Toad Sage could've done without. He waited for Jiraiya to tell Naruto to not chase after his lost teammate, but it never came. Perhaps Jiraiya didn't have the heart to. Yet.

Sakura was the worst out of them all. She said nothing, her expression betrayed only sadness, not anger, never anger, but Naruto still apologized again and again fro breaking his promise to her. Kakashi was no stranger to broken promises. …He'd promised Sakura everything would be okay.

Like a fool, she'd believed him. Didn't she know he never kept his promises?

Sakura's visit ended with Naruto swearing, once again, that he would get Sasuke back. Then Sakura had corrected him.

_No. _We_ will get him back. _

Kakashi had never been prouder of his student until that moment.

He just wished the circumstances had been better.

* * *

"How long are you going to hide out here, Niisan?"

Kakashi stiffened.

A blond head poked out the window and looked over at where he crouched, sticking sideways out of the wall. Naruto's gaze was dull and tired, and the bright smiles that were always there that Kakashi loved so much were absent. Naruto met his gaze, then pulled back in an invitation to come inside.

Kakashi paused, then crawled along inside and dropped silently to the floor. "How did you know I was here?"

"It wasn't hard. You always like to come in through windows, after all."

"…Mmm."

Naruto paused, then looked away and scratched his ear. "Why haven't you ever come inside? You always stay out there."

"You knew about that, too?"

Naruto frowned. "Don't underestimate me. I almost became a chuunin, you know. You weren't exactly hiding your Chakra."

"Ah… well…"

With a sigh, his normally boisterous student despondently crossed the room to lean back against the wall. Naruto didn't say anything, a moment passed in uncomfortable silence before Kakashi cleared his throat and averted his eye. "Naruto. I'm… well, I'm sor-"

"If you finish that sentence with 'sorry' I will come over there and pound your skull into the ground."

Well, that was graphic.

Kakashi looked up to see a sudden furious light in the blond's eyes. His hands were clenched into fists and were shaking. Naruto was angry- but not at him. "It's not your- Sasuke is not- he was _your_ student, but he was _my_ friend! He was not your responsibility!_ I _should've been able to help him, I should have- but he just… how the hell could he do this? Didn't he see that we care about him?! I don't understand. You always told me that bonds were the most important thing in the world and that you should never betray your friends, and I _believed_ that, damn it, and then Sasuke, he just threw it all away! For what? Why is Itachi so imp- no, _more_ important than _us?!_ I would've helped him! Anything he wanted, I would've helped him kill Itachi, I would've done it for him just so he would stay! And I still care about him. Isn't that stupid, Niisan? He tried to kill me, and it doesn't even bother me. He's still my friend, and I want him back. I'll do anything to get him back, and I'm mad at him, but I don't even want or need him to apologize for what he did. He… he_ abandoned_ us, and he tried to kill me, and all that matters to me is whether he comes back home or not."

Naruto threw his hands up in the air in a furious aggravation, beginning to pace around the small hospital room. He was shaking and shaking his head and seemed to be this close to losing control, and Kakashi did not know what to say.

"Naruto…"

The blond hung his head. His entire body was trembling with contained rage and sadness and he looked angry enough to hit something and miserable enough to just slump down to the floor and never move again. "I… I don't care if it's stupid," he whispered after a moment, voice twisted with pain and eyes shut tight. "I don't care if you or anybody else thinks it's stupid. Hell, I know it's stupid. But Sasuke is my friend. I won't let Orochimaru kill him and I will- I will get him back here. I'll make him see that we're worth it."

Now Naruto was the one making promises there was no certainty that he could keep.

Kakashi didn't call him out on it. He was guilty of the same thing, and besides, he hoped Naruto was right.

Naruto cleared his throat and raised his head. his blue eyes were clear and filled with a fiery determination that didn't hide his pain- it didn't even close. "So… you don't worry about this, Kakashi-niisan. I'll get Sasuke back, you just wait."

Kakashi sighed.

"Naruto, I am going to tell you the same thing that Sakura did. _We_ will get him back. Not just you. Not just me. Not just Sakura. _We_ will. Because Sasuke is _our_ friend."

Kakashi only realized after he'd said it that he'd just made another promise he couldn't be sure he would fulfill. He sighed again. He really should stop making promises.

"…Why doesn't Sasuke just understand that? How can he not even care about us? I thought that he- all this time…"

Yeah. All this time, Kakashi had thought Sasuke had been changing, too. Learning that there was something besides revenge to live for, that he had friends, that he could live a different life.

If Itachi hadn't come back, then maybe… just maybe…

Kakashi shook his head. Twenty-one years of shinobi life, if nothing else, had taught him that there was no point in wishing about the past. The past was done. He could only change the future.

"Naruto."

The blond looked slowly up at him. He shouldn't look that sad. Naruto was supposed to look happy. Naruto was his precious person, and precious person was supposed to be happy. That was how it worked. Kakashi wanted to be angry at Sasuke for this, but he couldn't… because Sasuke was his precious person, too.

"Sasuke's lucky to have people who care about him. …We're all lucky to have that. If you want to take something from this, Naruto- never take having people who love you for granted. Death, greed, injustice- it will always end up being taken away, in the end, but hang onto it while you can and fight to protect it. A bond worth having is a bond worth protecting. And any bond that's strong, that can withstand… what Sasuke has done- that is a bond worth having."

"And our job is to make Sasuke see that. Right, Niisan?"

Kakashi nodded and smiled. "Right."

He would do that. For Naruto's sake. So Naruto didn't have to go through watching his team fall apart.

...Maybe his second team wasn't so irreparable after all.


	10. Awkward Goodbyes and Favorites

Thank you for reviewing! Today is definitely a good day. I skip school tomorrow, took the last of my AP exams, got two birthday presents and my birthday isn't even for another 15 days (though those are two presents are probably all I'm going to get…) AND finished this! I like this one much better than my last chapter. I didn't think I would have any ideas for it, then, hey, I had an idea! It's not perfect, but- well, I seem to have troubles perfecting anything enough to make me happy. So, enjoy!

* * *

Naruto said goodbye to Iruka three times. Each time was harder than the last.

The first time, he thought would be the _only_ time. They went to Ichiraku's and spent over three hours talking, remembering all the way back to his Academy days. It ended with Iruka hugging Naruto fiercely and making him promise to write.

The second time, Naruto had awkwardly scratched the back of his head and said _well, I'm still in town, so-_ and then Iruka had grabbed him by the wrist and yanked him inside his apartment. The Academy sensei was thrilled to have some more time with his favorite student, regardless of the reason, and they'd devoured the instant ramen he'd been planning on eating alone. Not as good as Ichiraku's, but that was okay, because this time Naruto lingered past what would've been closing time at the ramen stand, and it was almost midnight when he finally went home.

The third time was almost a week after the first time, and this time it had been Iruka who had approached Naruto. The sensei knocked on his favorite former student's door at nine in the morning, and this time, the blond had forced _him_ inside. Iruka spent the whole day in Naruto's rat-sized apartment, but this, too, did not last forever, and Iruka finally ended up leaving at ten minutes to midnight. They hugged one last time and Naruto swore he would write every single day.

Then, he could procrastinate no longer. It seemed Kakashi wouldn't be coming home before Naruto left.

The jounin had been assigned an S-class mission a month previously, and was set to return any day now. But any day now was not _now_, and Jiraiya could wait no longer. It was either leave with Jiraiya, or wait for Kakashi to come home. There was no 'wait for Kakashi to come home and _then_ leave with Jiraiya' option. Jiraiya was apologetic and understanding, but still firm, so Naruto took the supplies that he had had packed up for a week and traveled along to the jounin's apartment for a last goodbye.

In the end, Naruto didn't spend long there. It was tiny and dusty and far too clean for his tastes- and full of too many memories. He just left the note on the table and went home, but he exited with a smile. They were good memories, and yeah, three years was a long time, but Kakashi would still be here when he got back. They could just make more good memories.

WIth Sasuke, yeah. With Sasuke.

_Kakashi-_

_Um. Well. Hey. I wanted to wait until you got back from your mission, but it's been a week and we can't stay here in Konoha any longer. We being me and Jiraiya. He's taking me on a training trip! Said that he was going to teach me lots and lots of cool jutsu and techniques and that when I get back I'll be the strongest ever! But, that's kind of what I wanted to talk to you about. Because there's no guarantee that we'll be able to visit Konoha until I'm back for good. Which will be in … a while (_scribble scribble_) I mean a _(scratch out more scribble) _three years._

_That's why I wanted to say goodbye! But you're not here. I should've known you'd be late, even for this. Even though you didn't know that I would be leaving so it's not really your fault. Well… I'm not going to be here to make you take care of yourself, so you had better stay safe and healthy and all of that, you hear? If I come back and find out that you didn't, I'll be really mad! And Iruka-sensei may get lonely, so make sure you talk to him some, too! I know you guys fought at the chuunin exams but he's still a really nice guy and he may be mad at you but if you just talk to him I'm sure he'll like you._

_And don't let Sakura-chan marry anybody! I haven't had my chance to date her yet! _

_Okay, sorry, I'm really getting off topic. I guess I just wanted to leave you this so you didn't think that I forgot about you. Because I didn't; I waited for you but you were LATE, AGAIN, so I wasn't able to say goodbye in person. So… don't forget anything I told you and I'll write to you all the time and I promise that I'll bring you awesome presents and be so much stronger when I get back. Just wait. I'll be the best ninja ever when I come home I promise! _

_Love, Naruto_

* * *

Jiraiya traveled slowly the first few days. They stopped early in the night and rose late the next morning, and walked along the roads instead of running through the trees. There was no reason to hurry, Jiraiya had insisted- training was easier if their took their time on their journey, and it wasn't as if they were in a hurry to go anywhere.

It took them four days to reach the border of Fire Country. But they finally did- though it was a journey that Naruto had once managed to complete in mere hours. It was hardly half an hour after they had crossed the border, though, when things started to get interesting.

First there was a earsplitting crack, and Jiraiya stopped immediately. He raised a hand for Naruto to halt as well and turned to look in the direction of the noise just as there was a piercing scream, along with a sudden gust of smoke that exploded up towards the sky from only half a mile away.

Naruto just stood there, jaw hanging open and blue eyes wide- and then Jiraiya's hand came to rest on his shoulder. Naruto looked up to see the Toad Sage gazing forward to the rising smoke, expression a tad- eager?

"Naruto," he said carefully, "we are going to investigate that. And if any enemy nin are responsible… well…"

"_All right!_"

Jiraiya grinned, and then, together, the two ninja jumped off into the trees.

* * *

They reached the disaster site just in time for a massive earthquake to throw Naruto out of the tree- Jiraiya just barely managed to catch him by the wrist and hold him fast. Naruto hung there limply, staring as the dust settled amidst kunai clashes and what looked like a fire jutsu. When the battle was finally visible-

The hell?!

_Kakashi?!_

Kakashi was fighting against three enemy ninja, all a blur of motion and lightening and fire, kunai glinting in the sunlight as trees and earth fell victim to the destructive battle. The jounin seemed to be struggling to move past them in the direction of Konoha's borders, but the enemy weren't giving him an inch.

Jiraiya dropped to the ground in an instant, bringing Naruto with him, expression no longer eager but tense and concerned. "Stay here, Naruto," he ordered and dashed forward to join the fight without hesitation. Naruto hung back hesitantly; he couldn't see a way in, he couldn't see a way to step into the fight without getting pummeled. Good lord, it was so _fast!_

Kakashi made no noticeable signs of relief at Jiraiya's intervention, but Naruto could've sworn he saw his shoulders relax, just a bit. "Jiraiya-sama," the jounin panted, then disappeared only to reappear on the other side of the clearing, the patch of ground where he _had_ been standing littered with kunai and shuriken. "It is nice to see you. Are you my backup?"

"Nope, just a friendly ninja wondering the area. What's the story on these guys?"

"All that remains out of a group of thirteen. Jounin or higher rank from Iwa. Trying to get back into Fire Country's borders for aid- glad you showed up."

"You killed our captain, you son of a bitch!" one of them screamed, and Naruto gasped when a jutsu came this close to taking Kakashi's head off. "You aren't getting out of here alive- this old guy won't change that!"

"Old guy?" Jiraiya scoffed. "Is that all I am? An old guy? Hmm. Going to really have to work on that reputation. Oi, Naruto- sit back and watch the show. This is how I'm going to be teaching you to fight."

Stay back and watch? But- but Kakashi-niisan and Ero-sennin-

Pretty obviously didn't need his help.

If Kakashi had been struggling before their arrival, it didn't show, because he and Jiraiya were kicking the enemy's ass. Naruto stared in awe as the pair made lightening crackle and earth rumble, forcing their opponents to their limits. He so rarely got to see Kakashi fight enemies at his level and when he did, it was amazing- the addition of Jiraiya just made it all the cooler.

Naruto was so enraptured by the fight he almost cheered when one of the enemy fell, taken down by Kakashi, leaving just two behind. He twitched, eager to jump in and help- because damn it, that fight looked really really cool and he wanted to help!

But the moment the now dead enemy hit the ground, one of the other opposing ninja let out a scream of fury and turned right towards Kakashi. The sound jerked Naruto out of his stunned state and he turned toward Kakashi as well, eyes widening when he recognized the enemy's hand seal as the one Sasuke had once formed so often. "You- you _bastard!_" he gasped, voice shaking and wrought with agony. "You killed one of my teammates for the last time! _Katon: Gokakyu no jutsu!"_

The initial fire jutsu wasn't the problem. Kakashi had already created a wall of water to block it.

The problem was the _other_ enemy ninja approaching him from behind with the same attack.

Naruto didn't even look towards Jiraiya, but if he had, he would've seen that the Toad Sage was busy yanking a kunai out of his arm and wasn't going to be of any help.

_Kakashi-niisan!_

_"Rasengan!"_

Naruto didn't really know what the hell he expected to accomplish with a Rasengan, but it was all he could do. He dove forward, spiraling Chakra glowing on his open palm, and slammed it into the ball of fire headed straight for Kakashi's head. The fire blew against his hand for a moment before giving out, dispersing as a cloud of smoke, the force tossing Naruto backwards into Kakashi.

Naruto tumbled over Kakashi's head and then the jounin was gone. He fell to the ground and his head hit the dirt, and then- then everything was quiet and still.

Naruto lay silently, eyes wide and disbelieving, chest heaving. Was it over? What on earth had happened?

Then something large and heavy slumped over on top of him, and he saw Kakashi's head hit the ground, his body lying limply over his. His grey eye was tired and barely open- it looked like he was struggling to stay conscious- but before Naruto could even get a word in Jiraiya was groaning loudly and traipsing over to them.

"Honestly, Kakashi. You never learned the meaning of stamina, did you?"

Kakashi grunted into the dust. "Hey… just took out thirteen jounin here. Think I deserve… a bit of a… break."

Jiraiya dropped himself down right in between Kakashi and Naruto. "No. You took out ten. I am totally responsible for the last three. If Naruto and I hadn't shown up, you would've been toast, kid."

"I was… almost to Fire Country… woulda been fine..."

Naruto rolled his eyes, even as he scrambled out from underneath Kakashi to kneel beside him. "Shut up. You were this tired and still had those guys left! They were really strong, Kakashi-niisan, what's with you, why would you fight them alone? And there were ten _more_ of them?!"

Kakashi shrugged, beginning to look decidedly uncomfortable with his face still squashed into the dirt. "Solo mission. Tsunade knew I could take them on my own."

"What?! Tsunade-obaachan sent you out _alone?!_ What is wrong with her, that's really dangerous! I can't believe she-"

"Don't be angry with her. But… would you mind… helping me? This isn't exactly comfortable."

Jiraiya groaned again, then slid under Kakashi's limp arm and hauled the jounin onto his back. "No wonder Naruto's strategies all waste energy. He's got you for a sensei; as long as he doesn't keel over after a five minute battle, then he beats you in stamina."

"Five minutes… that's an exaggeration."

"What do you mean, I waste energy?!"

Jiraiya ignored both replies and just walked off into the clearing, away from the blood and dead bodes. "Come on, Naruto. We're going to make camp for the night, but somewhere that doesn't attract carrion. That way our new find can rest up and recover some strength; he'll be strong enough to get himself back to the border in a few hours, probably. There's a camp there where he can rest more."

Kakashi's eye widened a bit at that, but since he was currently slung across the Toad Sage's shoulders, Jiraiya didn't notice his mild surprise and Naruto was too occupied with the three dead bodies to see. "We just leaving these guys here? Why were you fighting them, Niisan, anyway? They seemed pretty mad at you."

"Well, considering I had already killed the rest of their squad, I don't blame them. They were a scouting team… looking for info on Konoha, you know… and this isn't really my favorite position in the world- can you hurry up?"

Kakashi's head bounced lightly against Jiraiya's back as the man complied, walking a little faster now, away from the remains of the battle. Naruto walked alongside him, peering at Kakashi's face curiously even when the jounin twitched uncomfortably. "Naruto? …What are you doing?"

"Just checking. Making sure you're not injured, too, like that time in Mist when you passed out and swore it was just Chakra exhaustion when you _really_ had-"

"Speaking of injuries, Jiraiya-sama, you know that their weapons were poisoned, right?"

Jiraiya swore. "You know, Kakashi, that's the kind of thing that you should just come out and tell someone. Not wait and assume. No, I didn't know that. Usual Iwa stuff?"

"Yeah. Antidote's in my pack. Which Naruto doesn't have to worry about, since he saved my life _without_ getting cut up. Thanks for that, by the way. Good work."

Naruto beamed at the praise, and Jiraiya led them a bit further before he halted in the middle of a new clearing, this one without any blood or bodies that carried no signs of a recent battle. He set Kakashi down and pulled the jounin's pack off of him. "This here is good. I'll get the antidote, then head back to take care of the bodies. Naruto, you watch Kakashi- make sure no enemies come and he doesn't overexert himself. Again. I'll be back in about two hours."

"Jiraiya-sama, I don't need anyone to-"

"Niisan, you know he's already gone, right?"

Kakashi groaned and rolled his head over to bury it in the grass. Honestly… why did just everybody just assume he couldn't take care of himself? It wasn't like he'd never gotten Chakra exhausted _before_. It had happened before in the field and, lo and behold, he was still alive.

Sighing, Kakashi allowed Naruto to sit him upright against a tree. "So," he asked sleepily, raising a sore and aching arm to rub at his eye, "what are you and Jiraiya-sama doing out here, anyway? I told him, no more taking you out on S-class missions until you're at least a little older- it _bothers_ me when he's so risky with you."

Naruto winced.

Oooooh. Riiiiight. Kakashi didn't know about his training trip.

Uh oh. Confession time.

Naruto shifted awkwardly. He reached up and scratched the back of his head and looked anywhere but at Kakashi. "Um… well… Ero-sennin was just taking me on a trip?"

"A trip. Not a mission, then?"

Naruto paused at Kakashi's shift in tone. The jounin was fishing. He knew that something was up, and boy did Naruto not want to be the one to tell him what was going on.

A moment passed in silence, then Kakashi cleared his throat and curved his eye up into a smile. "You know, Nartuo- I don't _really_ have to stay here any longer before I've recovered enough to make it back to the border. I would be fine to go now. And I'm pretty sure Jiraiya-sama knows that."

"So why would he…"

"I think he wants us to talk. Which means that we have something to talk _about_." Kakashi watched Naruto dully, unbelievably exhausted eye somehow still alert. "Maa, Naruto, don't make a tired old man like me think. That's much too hard. It would be so much easier if you just came right out and said it, hmm? I'm sure, whatever it is, it's not that bad."

Naruto bit his lip. Yeah… it kind of was _that bad_.

Okay, he had said goodbye to Iruka. He could said goodbye to Kakashi, too.

"Um… okay. Well… I will- I'm just going to come out and say it. Ero-sennin said that… it was going to get worse- I mean, the Akatsuki would just keep coming after me. That I had to get stronger. And he's right; if I'm going to get Sasuke back and stay ahead of the Akatsuki then I do. But staying in Konoha would be dangerous because I would always be in one place and… so… he said that we were going to go on a training trip. A long one. And… by long I mean three years."

Kakashi's masked expression didn't change. His eye was still drooped against his chest, eye dull and tired and slowly blinking as if he wasn't really comprehending what Naruto was saying. Naruto bit his lip again, then anxiously continued, trying to squash the awkward silence.

"I really wanted to talk to you before I left, Kakashi-niisan! I waited a whole week to say goodbye to you, I did, but Ero-sennin said we had to go so I had to just leave you a note. I felt kind of bad about it but there was no way we could say goodbye face to face. Heh… well, now it looks like we can. I'm just- well… stop looking at me like that! Niisan! You're freaking me out!"

"Hmm? Oh." Kakashi's eye brightened a bit and he sat up straighter, with some effort. "Sorry. It was just a bunch of information to process all at once. So… you're leaving with Jiraiya- for three years. …Wow. That is a long time."

Naruto wished Kakashi would say something that made this _less_ awkward. "Yeah, I know. But- but- I have to! And I'll write, I promise, I'll write all the time. I'll tell you about everything Ero-sennin and I do. It'll be really cool and- and- so you stay safe and promise to write me back! I know you're really lazy and everything but you better not do that with this! I'll be mad if you do that!"

"Um… I- okay." Kakashi slowly made himself keep smiling while he processed the idea that Naruto would be actually _gone_ for three years.

To be honest… he really should've seen it coming.

_After all, it's been three months since Sasuke left, and we're no closer to getting him back than when he first left._

And then there was the Akatsuki. The organization that Naruto wasn't really that concerned about, because he knew nothing _about_ them and they hadn't showed their faces since Itachi and Kisame had ran off- also the organization that was not going away or leaving him alone. But they _were_ on Jiraiya's mind, and Tsunade's… and his. Naruto would have to get stronger if he wanted to stay alive.

And… Jiraiya made a much better teacher than he did. The Toad Sage, after all, had taken a bold little genin and molded the Fourth Hokage. Kakashi, on the other hand, had taken three very capable children and created…

A boy with a target on his head and an absent best friend, a broken-hearted and neglected girl, and a missing nin.

He should be glad that Jiraiya was taking Naruto on this trip. Naruto would most certainly get stronger, taught by a far better teacher than Kakashi could ever be, and would end up strong enough to defend himself against even the Akatsuki.

_On the other hand, three years _is _an awful long time. A Copy Ninja is liable to get lonely… _

Kakashi quickly shook his head and regretted it when the world spun. A Copy Ninja may be liable to get lonely, but a blond Uzumaki was liable to get dead.

He cleared his throat, ensuring that his voice didn't sound bitter. Naruto had to be so excited and thrilled to be going on this trip with Jiraiya; he didn't need a ninja past his prime putting a damper on his spirits just because he wanted to hang on to his last student.

"That's wonderful, Naruto!" he finally said brightly and smiled again, and he truly wasn't lying. That was wonderful- _for Naruto. _And he was happy- _for Naruto._

Since everything he did was for somebody else, then that was just fine.

Naruto smiled a bit, seeming perfectly willing to accept the lie. "I know; I'm really excited. I can't wait to get really strong, like you! Plus, then we'll be able to get Sasuke back. Sakura-chan's going to get really strong, too, what with Tsunade-obaachan training her and everything, and you're _already_ really strong, so when I come back we'll all be strong enough to get him back."

This would've made Kakashi a whole lot angrier at Sasuke if it weren't for the threat of the Akatsuki, the real reason the council had to be allowing Jiraiya to take their Jincuuriki out for so long to train. As it was, he just stayed just as annoyed at always for at the Uchiha for hurting Naruto and continued to keep a fake smile plastered all over his face.

"Then I'll be eagerly waiting for you to come back."

"You better be. You're not getting him back without me there to help!"

Kakashi shook his head slightly. "Of course not. I know better than to do that."

Naruto nodded in return, then awkwardly looked away and scratched the side of his head. "Ah… well… that was a relief. You took this a lot better than Iruka-sensei did."

"Oh?"

He nodded again. "Mmmhmm. See, we kind of ended up saying goodbye three times- since you were so _late_- and he told me it was going to get so lonely without me around and made me feel really guilty without even meaning to, and he didn't really believe me when I first told him and he made me swear to write to him all the time and not to ever ever forget to. You're making this a lot easier on me, Niisan."

Kakashi shrugged at that. "Well, I'm only looking at it logically. You're going to one of the best teachers there is; he taught _my_ sensei. And I trust Jiraiya, I know he'll teach you well and won't let anything happen to you."

Naruto beamed. Kakashi's reaction was relieving. He didn't seem angry or upset at _all_, and Naruto wasn't good at dealing with either one of those emotions.

On the other hand… it was kind of odd. Naruto had practically lived with Kakashi half the time since he was eight- that was for five years. Naruto knew that he was going to miss him. Okay… well… Kakashi may be the most insufferable, infuriating, _always late_ annoying porn-reading man in the world- but Naruto would still miss him. Wasn't Kakashi going to miss him at _all?_

Naruto took a deep breath before he could get mad. If there was one thing Kakashi had taught him, it was that staying calm and analyzing the situation first could yield wonderful results.

_You're going to one of the best teachers there is…_

Wait a minute…

Was Kakashi…?

He remembered Iruka once telling him after he graduated that as proud as he was that his students were moving onto bigger and better things, with bigger and better teachers, he was sad that they were all moving on without him. He would miss them, he'd said (plus that it made him feel kind of old). And Sasuke and Sakura had already...

"Don't worry, Niisan!" Naruto suddenly exclaimed, attracting Kakashi's attention. The jounin raised his head in surprise, tired eye widening a bit, and Naruto happily. "You're still my favorite sensei!"

Kakashi watched him dully, his expression not changing in the slightest before it finally shifted just barely to reveal an eye smile. "Naruto, don't say that. You'll make Iruka-sensei jealous."

"What? Oh… okay, okay, Iruka-sensei is my favorite sensei, but _you're_ my favorite niisan. Ero-sennin is awesome and all of that but you're still definitely my favorite niisan, dattebayo!"

Kakashi blinked in surprise. Why would Naruto think he needed to hear that?

And why was it filling him with a warmth that he hadn't expected to feel- or even want to feel?

"So, just don't get lonely and think I'll forget about you or anything, because I won't; you're my favorite niisan and I promise I'll write _all the time_ and definitely won't forget about you!"

_OH. So, that's why… _

_Oh, Naruto. You worry too much. _

But the next time Kakashi smiled, it wasn't faked. Not at all. "Maa, don't worry, Naruto. You're my favorite, too. Just don't let Sakura or Sasuke ever hear you repeat that."

* * *

Jiraiya didn't actually return for another three hours, and he walked back into the clearing with a wary look in his eyes and his clothes stained in blood. "You guys good?" he asked, setting Kakashi's pack from earlier down next to the jounin. "Talked everything out?"

"Yes, yes," Kakashi called airily. "I don't know why you're looking at us like you expect a bomb to go off."

"It's Naruto. He's your Number One Unpredictable ninja, right? Never know what might happen."

Kakashi grunted in reply as he pulled his pack over and slid his arms through it. "I seriously doubt he is able to spontaneously combust, no matter how unpredictable he is. Stop looking at him like he might blow up."

"Protective, much? Besides, I wasn't looking at him like that- I was looking at _you_ like that."

Kakashi groaned. "_One_ time. _One_ time, you saw me test out my Raiton: Kage bunshin, and ever since then, you're convinced that I'm going to explode. That's it; I'm out- even the annoying medics at the border camp are better than this." Kakashi tried to stand for a moment in vain, then groaned even louder and slumped back in defeat. Jiraiya grinned and Naruto snickered loudly. "Oh, laugh it up," the jounin snapped. "So hilarious. Poking fun at an exhausted old man who's been fighting for the past ten hours. Funny, funny stuff."

"Psssh. If you're old, then Ero-sennin is ancient."

Jiraiya frowned at that and Naruto high-fived Kakashi happily. "I knew it," the jounin crowed. "Still loyal to me and not the Toad Sage. Remember, Naruto- dogs are much cooler than toads."

"My _toads_ are a hell of a lot bigger than your dogs."

"Bigger isn't always better, you know."

Jiraiya smiled knowingly. "And you call yourself an Icha Icha fan. Anyone who's read my stuff just _knows_ that that's not true."

Naruto frowned. "Huh? Bigger- like bigger muscles and stuff? Well _duh_ bigger is always better. Well… maybe not in girls. Really really strong girls are kind of scary. But I thought girls only liked really strong guys."

Kakashi blinked slowly, then twisted to stare up at Jiraiya. "I'm feeling less and less comfortable about sending him out with you for so long. He's going out this… well, _innocent_ and is going to come back a junior… you. A junior sex fiend."

Naruto blanched while Jiraiya just laughed heartily, reaching down to haul the copy ninja to his feet. "That's pervert. Pervert, not sex fiend. Get your terminology right."

"Ow! You could be a little- hey! Ugh… having fun here?"

Jiraiya pushed Kakashi's exhausted body back against the tree, smile broadening when the jounin struggled to stay on his feet. "That's what you get. Trust me. Naruto is not going to be _corrupted_; his horizons will just be broadened and I will educate him in everything- from jutsu to, of course, the fine world of women. When he gets back, he'll be a wonderful little-"

"Finish that sentence with the word womanizer, and he's not going."

Jiraiya huffed. "Fine. I just won't finish that sentence."

Kakashi rolled his eye before pushing himself off of the tree, standing on his own two feet. Naruto frowned; the jounin looked like he was about to fall flat on his face- but when he didn't hit the ground after the first few seconds, he decided to just smile and look back to Jiraiya. The Toad Sage glanced down at him, then nodded, seeming satisfied about something. "All right. You good to go, Kakashi? Because I've spent enough time here taking care of your unfinished mess. Time for us to set off!"

Kakashi nodded easily. "I'll find my way to the border eventually."

"Good. Don't get lost on the way; Tsunade will kill me."

"Well, you know me. I try not to, but I just so often get lost on the path of life…"

Naruto scowled. "Kakashi-niisan, I love you and all, but at least try and learn how to be punctual while I'm gone."

Kakashi chuckled. "Oh, come on. It would frighten people if I was on time. I'm only late to keep the peace now. Who _knows_ what would happen if I was ever punctual-"

"Enough, kid. Naruto's right. I would love it if you showed up less than three hours late once in a while."

Kakashi just smiled.

It was quiet for a moment, and then Jiraiya pointedly tugged on Naruto's pack, gesturing into the forest. "Come on. We have to get going."

Kakashi waved slightly when Naruto glanced back hesitantly. "Have fun. Don't do anything too stupid."

"You, too, Niisan."

The awkwardness dragged on, Naruto shifting his weight uncomfortably until Jiraiya cleared his throat and spoke, his voice unnecessarily loud. "Ah… I think I see a beautiful woman up there! I'll just be going! Naruto, catch up with me later, eh?"

Naruto rolled his eyes as the Toad Sage quickly vanished into the trees, then slowly turned back to Kakashi and smiled. "Well… I guess this is it."

Kakashi nodded. "Yeah."

How was this supposed to go? How exactly was he supposed to leave? Damn, he _really_ wasn't good at goodbyes.

Well, he had hugged Iruka (all three times). He would hug Kakashi, too.

The jounin stiffened when Naruto wrapped his arms around his middle, and the blond only remembered then that Kakashi wasn't good with hugs. Or touching. Or physical or relationship anything.

Oh well.

"…I'll miss you, Niisan."

Kakashi slowly relaxed against him, and just when Naruto thought he had actually succeeding in teaching the jounin that a hug did not equal a physical attack, the man lifted him up and set him back a foot. "Well, you'd best get going. Don't let Jiraiya get too involved with his forest nymph."

Naruto smiled weakly. "I have the feeling I'm going to see a lot of that the next three years." A moment passed, then he raised a hand in a half-hearted wave and nodded at him before turning to the forest. "I'll… see you."

"Mmm."

Naruto forced himself not to look back as he began the slow walk after Jiraiya. He was almost out of earshot when he heard the jounin finally reply to his earlier comment. "I'll miss you too, Naruto."

Naruto paused, then continued walking. But he was smiling.


	11. Homecoming

Guh. Remind me to never go to narutobase again. That community really sucks. Anyway- not totally happy with it, but it's been over a MONTH, so you guys deserved something! Thank you for reviewing, and enjoy!

* * *

Kakashi was so relieved to be in Konoha again he almost dropped to his knees and kissed the ground. But if he got down, he wouldn't be getting back up anytime soon, and he decided it would be best to drag himself home before collapsing and not getting up.

He smiled tiredly for a moment, dwelling on the wonderful possibilities of a bed, a hot bath, and some good food- in that order. Tsunade would just have to wait for him to report in until after that, because absolutely nothing was getting him to the Hokage Tower until he'd had at least ten hours of sleep.

He pouted, then, glancing down at his left leg, which he was still dragging behind him in a limp. That was probably _all_ he was going to get in his own bed; she'd probably force him off to the hospital after that. He shuddered and shook his head. No way, no how, was his first night home in over six months going to be spent in a _hospital bed_.

It wasn't like he had people to see, or things to do. Not really. Naruto wasn't here, and hadn't been for years. Gai probably wasn't, either. Ever since Neji had made jounin, Lee and Tenten had been trying to catch up to him, training harder than ever before- and Gai was only too thrilled to go along with it. That whole team was probably out on some ridiculous, hair-brained scheme for training disguised as a mission.

Sakura, well…

Sakura was in Konoha, but he hadn't talked to her in months. Not counting the time he'd been on this mission. It wasn't that she was avoiding him, or he avoiding her- but she was completely caught up in the excitement of being trained by Tsunade herself and her success as a medic. The last time they'd met up, it was over a year ago, and she'd just seen him in passing and chattered for five minutes nonstop about how happy she was before rushing off without so much as a wave goodbye.

Not that he'd begrudged her of that… he wasn't sure how a violent alcoholic and compulsive gambler could make a better sensei than he was- come on, he wasn't _that_ bad- but considering how skilled Sakura had become at medical ninjutsu in just two and a half short years, Tsunade had to be good. Kakashi was content to get what updates he did from the Hokage and be happy he hadn't completely failed two out of three of his students.

It came down to a pretty lonely life in Konoha, these days. That was okay. He was used to being lonely. Team Seven had created a nice change, but that team had almost been destined to fall apart from the moment it was formed- he had, in a way, always known that he was head back towards the cold isolation of self-induced solitary confinement.

Naruto's letters were nice, he wouldn't deny that. He'd kept up with his promise to write. They were separated by months of silence, to be expected- it wasn't exactly easy for Naruto to write back, wherever he was- but made up for that in length. Naruto would write for pages, front and back, detailing Jiraiya's escapades- that often gave Kakashi cause to worry about just _what_ the Sannin was teaching that boy- starting on one topic before being quickly distracted and jumping to the next. It said a lot, considering Naruto had used to struggle to fill out even half a page's worth of a mission report.

"And then I _Rasengan'd the hell out of him, dattebayo!_"

What in the world…

Kakashi came to a stumbling stop, eye wide in disbelief. Had he really just heard that? Or was he just losing his mind?

Yes, losing his mind seemed likely; six months in the field with no one to talk to, two in a dank cave with only a few skeletons for company- of course he would start imagining voices. Only logical. Surely that was it. He only hoped Tsunade wouldn't find out and lock him up for this- and that Imaginary Naruto wouldn't start chanting only _Believe it! _in his head, because that would get annoying-

"And then, I learned a new type of Rasengan- _giant Rasengan!_ It obliterated a hunk of rock big as Tsunade-obaachan's head up there, I'm serious!"

Kakashi tilted his head back to look up at the Hokage mountain and snorted appreciatively. "Good for you, Naruto-kun," he murmured, then decided maybe it wasn't that good of an idea to actually talk to his imaginary-

"Oh, seriously, Naruto! You've been gone for three years; don't tell me all you've learned is a _giant_ version of Rasengan?"

"I don't believe you! There's no way; go up there and prove it!"

"Tsunade-sama would kill him; there's no way he's man enough to do it-"

"I am so man enough, dattebayo! Come on, everybody, follow me-"

"You are going nowhere, _channaro!_"

Kakashi decided he should look over his shoulder, just to check if those voices were real or not. If he was hearing more people than just Naruto in his head, then he really was more screwed up than he'd thought. He reluctantly shuffled around, giving a longing look back in the direction as he turned-

Then stopped dead.

He'd somehow stumbled on past Ichiraku's, though it didn't matter, because even if he'd had the energy for food, they didn't have any room for him there. The place was jam-packed, every single remaining member of the Rookie Nine crowded in and around the counter- and there was Iruka as well, and little Akamaru who wasn't so little anymore-

And at the center of all of the attention was Naruto himself. Undeniably different but still so much the same, still orange, still loud, still happy and smiling. Kakashi just stood there and stared at him, covered mouth open in surprise, and it wasn't until someone almost ran into him that he remembered he was standing in the middle of the street.

That was undoubtedly Naruto. And unless he was now prone to hallucinating the whole of the Rookie Nine- Naruto was undoubtedly back in Konoha.

Kakashi just stood there and blinked until he managed to slump back against a building, eye curving upwards and the corners of his mouth lifting, unseen, in genuine happiness. Well, if this wasn't the best homecoming present he'd ever gotten. He beamed, watching as Naruto gestured about, describing his new giant Rasengan with mini-explosion motions and sound-affects, and his friends either watched on in awe or skepticism. Knowing Jiraiya, Kakashi was rather inclined to believe Naruto, though he did laugh right along with the group when Naruto tried to swear it could get as big as the moon.

The large group talked for hours, and as exhausted as he was, Kakashi enjoyed it. No matter how weird the looks he was getting from everyone else on the street were.

The more time that passed, though, the more he realized that Naruto was different than he remembered- and more than just physically. In a deeper voice that was almost unrecognizable, there were less chants of 'I'm going to become Hokage!' and "i swear we'll get Sasuke back!', and his long-winded descriptions were full of more of what had actually happened and less about the food and how _cool_ it had been when they'd defeated the enemy.

And then there was the fact he hadn't seen Sakura punch Naruto even once yet, and that meant either Sakura had decided attempting to beat him to death wasn't going to whip him into shape- unlikely- or Naruto was doing less to annoy her. Huh. Who would've thought that day would come.

The hours passed and eventually, the Rookie Nine drifted away, trio by trio, until it was just Sakura, Iruka, and Naruto left. By now it was almost midnight, and it seemed Teuchi was only still keeping the place open because Naruto was perhaps his most loyal customer ever. A cold gust of wind blew down the street, making Kakashi shiver in his tattered clothes- and Sakura, as well, in her sleeveless shirt and skirt. Naruto apparently noticed, as well, because he started to unzip his jacket and said something about offering it to her, but she shook her head- but her cheeks were a light pink and her eyes were wide, seeming a little surprised.

"Ah… no, that's okay, but I really should be getting home by now. My parents are going to be worried I'm out so late. I'll see you tomorrow, Naruto!"

Naruto waved as she left while Kakashi watched, pleasantly surprised himself. Ironically enough, training with Jiraiya seemed to have made him more perceptive to Sakura. If anything, Kakashi would've thought Jiraiya's influence would have Naruto trying to stare down her shirt and nothing else.

Even if Kakashi himself had had nothing to do with Naruto's changes, he couldn't help but be proud of him.

"Wow," Naruto said after a minute or so had stretched on in silence. "…Everything's really changed around here."

Iruka nodded. "Yeah. You have, too, Naruto."

Naruto looked at him for a moment, then grinned and shrugged. "I guess I have, haven't I? Heh… now that I think about it, you're the only one who _hasn't_ changed, Iruka-sensei!"

Iruka scratched at his scar with a smile. "That's because I'm much older than all of you guys. I was already done growing when you first stepped into my class."

"Oh, you know what I mean! Everything is the same, but also different… it's weird. But good weird, you know? Like… we're all growing up."

Iruka patted the blond on the shoulder. "You are. And it's supposed to be weird- good weird. I have to say, I'm glad to see it happen. Because, believe it or not, you guys are the next generation, and it's your time now. You all are going to be the main players in this village, sooner or later, and for a while no one was really sure what would happen. But now? After having seen you and the others like this?" Iruka gave another beaming smile and swallowed the rest of his water in one big gulp. "I'm sure Konoha will be just fine."

Naruto turned so he could lean back against the counter, staring out at the village in the night. "…I guess we really are the next generation. Three years ago, we were all just genins… now, they're all chuunins, Neji's even a jounin- hell, _Gaara_ is the _Kazekage! _Before long, it's going to be us in charge, isn't it?" Instead of triumphant and bold, Naruto seemed more thoughtful and distant, thinking back on the days when everything had been all fun and games. When Kakashi had had three cute students and when Team Seven's biggest problem was who was going to take the first shift for keeping watch at night. Kakashi couldn't hold back his own wistful smile at the memories of those days, the days that Naruto and Sakura missed even more than he did.

He wondered if Sasuke missed them too, sometimes.

"Well… I know one thing for certain, Naruto. No matter how much you all change, even when you become Hokage- you'll still be my favorite student."

Kakashi watched as Naruto looked back at Iruka, eyes wide, and then his features relaxed into a joyful smile, and the blond and the teacher reached over and met in a hug.

Why intrude? Naruto was perfectly happy with Iruka right now. They could catch up tomorrow.

Kakashi waved at the pair in goodbye and turned to limp down the street, deciding that the last thing the blond's homecoming needed was an exhausted, injured, smelly ninja like himself to crash the party. Nope… he could wait until tomorrow.

* * *

Naruto and Iruka were just about to part ways when the Hokage-hopeful remembered something very important.

"Hey!" he gasped, turning back to face his former teacher. "I almost forgot! I saw everyone tonight- _except_ for Kakashi-niisan! Where is he, anyway?" Because that old pervert was _so_ not getting out of welcoming him home tonight. Three years was a long time, after all, and after seeing all of his friends, the night would not be complete without Kakashi, too.

But Iruka's face fell at the mention of Kakashi. He looked away and scratched his scar uncomfortably, and Naruto's enthusiastic smile faded as well, to be replaced by worry. It took something pretty bad to make Iruka look like that. "Sensei?" he asked, taking a nervous step forward. "…He is okay, right? Nothing's happened?"

Iruka hesitantly met Naruto's anxious gaze. "I don't know."

"What do you mean? Then why do you look like that?! Something's happened, hasn't it?!"

Iruka shook his head, voice forcibly calm and placating. "Don't jump to conclusions, Naruto. He's on a mission; that's all I know for sure."

Naruto let out a relieved sigh, his tense stance relaxing, anxiety put at ease- and joined by disappointment. "Oh… oh. Is that all?" He put on a forced smile and shrugged. "That's fine. I guess." Did he wish Kakashi could be here on his first night back? Yeah… a lot. It wasn't a real homecoming unless Kakashi was there, too. But he was an elite jounin; this was something he should've expected. "We can just catch up another time then, I suppose."

But Iruka stopped him, reaching out a hand before biting his lip. "Wait- that's not all. See… here's the thing. Kakashi's been gone for six months."

Naruto shrugged slowly. "…So?" He knew Kakashi's missions could last for that long; even longer, sometimes. He still remembered when Kakashi had been assigned an eighth month long mission when Naruto was ten, and how the jounin had simply taken it in his stride, apologized for leaving him alone for so long, and left. Naruto had hated it, but it was a necessity, and had always been true.

But Iruka had to know that, too. Iruka worked at the mission's desk; he often _assigned _those long missions, and he knew how long Naruto and Kakashi had known each other for. Iruka knew that _Naruto_ knew that, as well. And yet he was still acting like this…

Something had to be wrong.

Iruka answered before Naruto could ask, his voice quiet and carefully unworried. But Naruto could hear the anxiety lurking beneath his words, all the same.

"He was only supposed to be gone for four."

Naruto blinked.

The first thing that occurred to him was _two months; that's late, even for Kakashi! _but then it really hit him, and his fists clenched and he looked away.

Kakashi was _late._

Late from a mission was bad. Even if it _was_ Kakashi. The man managed to be hours later for training but when it came to missions, he was as punctual as a clock. He was only late when something went wrong. And something going wrong on missions like the ones Kakashi took almost always meant very bad things for a ninja's health. It meant more enemies, it meant being ambushed, it meant fighting techniques they weren't ready to.

All things Naruto had faced all those things and more these past three years with Jiraiya, taking on assignments for money that could've easily been called A and S-rank. More than once, if it weren't for Kyuubi's healing capabilities and the fact that the Sannin seemed to have some inhuman ability to escape from harm, both of them would've been killed.

_If that stupid bastard has the gall to get himself killed NOW… _

"Naruto, wait! Where are you going?! Naruto!"

Naruto cast a determined look over his shoulder, back at Iruka. "I'm going to find Tsunade-obaachan, get her to tell me what kind of trouble Kakashi-niisan landed himself in, and then I'm going to go out there and drag him out of it."

Iruka reached out a hand to stop him, but Naruto just turned his back again and started on his way to the Hokage Tower. The teacher heaved a heavy sigh.

"That Naruto… you'd think I expect him to do stuff like this by now."

* * *

_"Ka! Ka! Shi! Nii! San!"_

Kakashi stopped in his tracks.

Only very few people could scream that loudly. And only one of them would be screaming his name.

He didn't have time to turn around and confirm his suspicions before a heavy force collided with his back- much heavier than he remembered it being. He actually stumbled and blinked as one orange arm circled around his neck from behind- since when was that arm so long?- and squeezed.

"_You bastard!_"

Oh… not really what he was expecting. Come on, seriously. Couldn't he be welcomed home with something other than an insult?

Kakashi ducked out of Naruto's grip, rubbed his aching ear, and turned to face him. "Ah… yo?"

Naruto was positively glaring at him, but it was the happy glare he was used to from his team when he did something that exasperated or annoyed them. He scratched at his makeshift mask- what had remained of his right pants leg- and decided that if he played it cool, maybe Naruto wouldn't kill him. "So. You're… back."

"_You're_ one to talk!"

Kakashi smiled sheepishly. Just what had Iruka and Naruto talked about after he'd left? He'd only been gone for about five minutes; why on earth was Naruto reacting like this?

He didn't have to wait long to find out; the blond immediately began filling him on just how and why he really was a bastard. "I get back in town today and _everybody's_ here, but what does Iruka-sensei tell me? _You're_ not! _Yo_ are off on a mission, and you are _two months_ late! And, for god's sakes, you look like shit, Iruka-sensei gets me worried something's happened to your lazy ass but _no_, you're here and fine and sometimes I think you _like_ worrying us because you try and pull shit like this all the time, and the next time you come home this late from a mission I'm going to kill you myself!"

Kakashi blinked.

Naruto's glare slowly cooled into just a look, his panting calmed down into regular breaths, and finally his tense shoulders relaxed and he managed a weak smile. Kakashi laughed.

"Are you finished?"

Naruto grinned sheepishly and scratched the back of his head, looking almost a little embarrassed. "Uh… yeah… sorry. But- don't you give me that look; I had every right to be worried!"

Kakashi chuckled with a slight shrug. "Aah, maybe. To answer your unasked question, I was late because I hurt my leg in the field. Couldn't travel, so I hid out in cave for two months until I could. And oh, have I missed civilization…"

Naruto rolled his eyes. "And let me guess. You were going home instead of to check in with Tsunade-obaachan."

Kakashi scratched the back of his neck and shifted with a slight grin. "Well… she doesn't have a bath in her office…"

Naruto chuckled. "Fine, whatever. I won't tell her if you don't tell her I knew you were back and didn't drag you there myself."

"Deal."

The two started to walk slowly along together to Kakashi's apartment, ignoring the looks Kakashi's tattered state and Naruto's presence got them. "So," the jounin said at length, "I heard you talking about some of your adventures with Jiraiya. Sounded… um…" _dangerous, I should kill that man for taking you out on risky things like that, where the hell did you find a dragon to fight, and WHY was fighting an S-class missing-nin a good idea… "_…adventurous."

Naruto scoffed, then gave a rather proud grin. "Yeah, well, Ero-sennin was even better at finding trouble than you- wait a minute! What do you mean, you heard me talking about that? …Did you _see_ me at Ichiraku's earlier?!"

Kakashi shrugged. "Maa, it's my first night back… I've seen a lot of people in a lot of places-"

"You idiot, you did!" Naruto laughed slightly before turning to look at him. "Why didn't you join us? Why do you _always_ have to be the creepy guy following us around like that?"

"Creepy?! I was just being- being-"

"Creepy?"

Kakashi groaned. "I guess one of the lessons Jiraiya skipped was how to spare people's feelings… and anyway, it looked like you guys were having plenty of fun without me. "I mean, look at me." He gestured down at himself and shook his head. "I look- and smell- like I just traveled through a swamp. Which I did, actually."

Naruto sniffed and wrinkled his nose. "Yeah, you got the smell part right. But- well, that doesn't matter! I'm sure Sakura-chan's been worried, too, and- oh, for the love of god, Niisan. I really don't know what to do with you sometimes."

"You could mention my name to Jiraiya. Thinking of his greatest fan will surely give him motivation to write!"

Naruto chuckled. "I still don't understand why you like his books so much. I've read one- it was _boring_."

Kakashi shrugged, unaffected. "Maybe you just can't appreciate fine literature."

Naruto laughed but didn't reply, and the two continued on in silence until they reached Kakashi's apartment building. The jounin stared mournfully at the stairs, then sighed and turned to face Naruto one more time. "Well- it's good to have you back, Naruto. I'll see you tomorrow. If Tsunade doesn't lock me in the hospital, that is."

"You better hope she does. Otherwise, we're going to have to train together tomorrow- and I'll kick your ass, old man. You won't believe how strong I've gotten!"

Kakashi glanced at him out of the corner of his eye with a knowing smirk. "You think you're the only one who's gotten stronger? Just because I'm a jounin doesn't mean I have no room to improve."

Naruto blinked, then just nodded determinedly. "I guess we'll just have to wait and see which one of us improved the most, then."

"We will."

The pair paused, and then Kakashi gave another regretful sigh before starting his long journey up the stairs. Naruto watched him go and just when the jounin was about to turn the corner and escape from his line of sight, he called out to stop him. "Kakashi-niisan!"

Kakashi raised his head, turning to look back at him, one eyebrow- or possibly both- arced in confusion. Naruto flushed, toed the ground in embarrassment, and finally muttered, "I… missed you."

Kakashi blinked. He stared down at him in surprise- and then his expression shifted a masked smile, eye curving upwards, and he nodded faintly. "Don't make me say it back. You know I'm not good with that stuff…"

Naruto smiled broadly. "Oh, okay. But if I beat you tomorrow, you have to say it back- got it?"

"…Got it."

This time, it was Kakashi who watched Naruto walk away- and Kakashi who called him back when he was almost out of sight. The blond stopped and turned back to him, eyes wide and expectant. Kakashi's eye stayed curved up into a happy grin. "I almost forgot- welcome home, Naruto."

Naruto's mouth dropped open in surprise. He stared up at Kakashi soundlessly for a few moments, and then he nodded and smiled back.

"You, too, Niisan."


	12. A Broken Picture

This takes place after the Sasuke and Sai arc. I think it's called that. Sasuke's first appearance in Shippuden. Slight manga spoilers for that whole thing with Rin. Also, you guys know how updates have been taking me about a month now? Well, school starts back August 1st (fuck you, school board, for moving that date back three weeks, yeah, real fucking great idea that was) so updates will come even less frequently. I'm a senior now, which means college apps and six APs. *unenthusiastic cheer* well… thank you for reviewing, and enjoy!

* * *

Tsunade made her appearance only thirty minutes after Jiraiya had.

And Kakashi ignored her, as he was prone to do, deciding he had better things to occupy his mind with. Normally, such things were Icha Icha related, or perhaps trying to catch even a whiff of something that wasn't antiseptic or blood or otherwise unpleasant, or even trying to count all of his teeth with his tongue.

(Never let it be said that Hatake Kakashi didn't find wonderfully important ways to spend his time.)

But, for once, he actually had something to occupy his considerable mental faculties with. And it wasn't even his next plot to escape from this godforsaken excuse for a hospital.

_"They ran into Sasuke, Kakashi."_

That wasn't supposed to have happened. They weren't supposed to have run into the rogue, former member of Team Seven. They were just meant to capture the spy, drag him back to Konoha, and maybe get a little acquainted with Sai, since they were going to be spending a lot of time together and oh did Kakashi hate when he had to work with constant bickering and shouting matches. Sasuke and Orochimaru weren't anywhere in that.

But they'd gotten themselves involved, because Orochimaru just loved to stick his nose into places it had no business being… and then newly forged Team Kakashi had almost died on their very first mission.

This was certainly a wakeup call, if the last three years hadn't been enough. Sasuke had attacked without provocation. He had nearly stabbed Tenzou in the heart with a bolt of lightening, he'd clashed swords with Sai, and his katana had come within an inch of Naruto's throat. Only to be called off- by Orochimaru, no less- before he slaughtered them all.

It was one thing for him to abandon Konoha. It was quite another to actively try and kill his old team.

_That's probably my fault, too, _he thought miserably. For pounding into those three so hard that you never left a teammate behind for anything. And now Sasuke was trying to prove, to them or maybe even to himself, that he wasn't a part of Team Seven anymore.

The most obvious way to do that was to go after them like they were his enemy.

Kakashi pushed down a momentary surge of aggravation. How could Sasuke really be this deluded? How could he imagine that even this was worth it? He'd known the boy was troubled, but to be turned into _this?_ Even after three years with Orochimaru… such a change was unspeakably drastic.

He'd tried to say his piece all those years ago, tried to convince him that revenge wasn't worth him trading in his life and soul for. And even while the months and years had passed without any sign from the missing Uchiha, he had held out hope, a tiny bit of ridiculously naive hope that even while he trained and followed the perverse Sannin, he was still only being an opportunist and taking advantage of Orochimaru's willingness to teach him- not that he was actually going to change.

_Boy, was I wrong. _

"And oh, damn, but I told Hanami to take the rest of the day off, and I forgot to assign you another nurse for tonight. I hope it's okay that no one will be checking up on you."

Kakashi blinked and glanced over at the Hokage in irritation. She was still here? Couldn't she just leave him to think and mope in peace?

"And what with the staff meeting tonight, the only employee on the floor is going to be Narizu. Honestly, that man sleeps on the job so much I'm shocked I haven't fired him yet."

When had he given the indication that he gave a damn about her staffing problems? Kakashi snuggled down into his blankets and rolled onto his side, hoping she would get the message and just leave.

"You could probably just walk right out of here and, as long as you were back by nine tomorrow morning, no one would even notice."

_If you're going to keep me locked up in here, you could at least leave me locked up in peace instead of…_

Oh.

Kakashi turned his head to see Tsunade glaring down at him, probably upset at having to spell it out so vividly for him- which wasn't really his fault; he had good reason to be distracted! When it became clear he understood, the blond nodded slightly and turned away, walking to the door of his hospital room. "Well, good night, Kakashi," she called back, purposefully leaving the door cracked open a little, as if he needed another hint.

_Well, it had the potential to be, at any rate. _

Before Jiraiya had come, given him the news, and thrashed any opportunity for a good night's sleep.

Kakashi only waited five minutes after Tsunade's departure to try and make his escape. Standing up was a chore, and standing up again after his legs had given out and his head had swam to the point of him collapsing was even harder. He held his head in his hands and groaned, trying to focus through the suddenly splitting headache and just breathe until the abrupt nausea abated. With a deep breath, he tried standing again, and it took him a few moments of groping along the wall to manage to keep himself upright and not hit the floor.

Kakashi swore under his breath. He hated to admit it, but the medics were right. He'd tried to cajole Tsunade into letting him go home two days ago but she'd just told him he wasn't ready yet, and she'd been right. He could barely walk, let alone take care of himself. This was the worst he'd ever had it, except for perhaps after what had happened with Rin.

He sighed and scratched at his suddenly aching scar. There was no use thinking about that now. He was supposed to be figuring out a way to get all the way to Naruto's apartment when just standing was an ordeal, not getting the lost in the past.

When he'd been up for a few minutes and felt considerably more steady on his feet, Kakashi cautiously lowered his hands, no longer relying on the wall for support. Emboldened when the world didn't tilt on its axis, he grabbed the two Icha Icha books Jiraiya had given him for his convalescence and managed to make his way far enough to poke his head out the door. Sure enough, the floor was deserted. Deciding to not bother making his escape appear anymore clandestine or secretive than it really was, he just buried his nose in an Icha Icha and slouched away to the stairs.

* * *

Kakashi woke when the door creaked open. He twitched at the sound of a zipper, then the soft clank of metal hitting the floor, tried to will up the strength to move, then declared it much too troublesome and opted to wait instead.

He was rewarded when, after only a few seconds of Naruto wondering around his living room/kitchen/gigantic trash can, one blond head popped around the corner to his bedroom/closet. Naruto didn't even bother to turn on the lights, just stumbled forward and crashed right down onto his bed.

There was the predictable panicked yell, followed by a scramble and the sound of Naruto tripping before the room was flooded with light, to reveal one panting genin with a kunai in hand and one sheepish jounin, beaming smile hidden by his mask.

It was still for a moment, and then Naruto slumped, in either exasperation or relief, Kakashi wasn't sure. The fifteen year old stuck the kunai under his pillow before turning to lean back against the wall, rubbing a hand over his face and through his hair. "Why the _hell_ are you in _my_ bed, Niisan?!"

Kakashi grinned. "Maa… it started out like this. Tsunade-sama decided I needed some good old-fashioned Vitamin D. And so, she-"

"You could've just stuck your stupid head out the window. …_Hey!_ It's _midnight! _What Vitamin D; the sun set hours ago!"

"You didn't let me finish!"

Naruto groaned loudly. He sank down the wall to sit on the floor, cradling his head in his hands. "…Save it, Kakashi-niisan."

The usually loud, boisterous voice was low, almost defeated- and that spoke volumes. Kakashi remained still for a moment, just watching him, then pushed himself upright, turning so he was facing Naruto. "Where've you been, anyway? You just got back from a mission. That's not exactly the best time for a night out on the town."

Naruto stayed where he was, blue eyes staring blankly at the floor, head braced against his hand, fingers tangled in his hair. "I was with Iruka-sensei, actually." The mutter was soft, almost inaudible, and quickly followed by a quiet sigh.

"Iruka… mmm. I guess I'm unneeded here, then." _Which is kind of good; wasn't looking forward to talking about this all night. Or talking about it ever. _"If you've already talked about… what happened with him, then-"

"I didn't actually tell him."

Kakashi blinked. It took him a moment to find his voice, and when he did, he scooted forward, shortening the distance between them before he cleared his throat. "Oh."

Naruto didn't move, or even respond to the statement in any way. When he just continued to sit there, unmoving, Kakashi tried to catch his eye. "Any particular reason you didn't?"

Naruto looked away. He slowly pulled a knee up to his chest, wrapped his arms around it, and rested his head on it, staring blankly in the other direction. When he spoke again, his voice was unexpectedly morose- filled with a sadness Kakashi was worried he would find, a realization that he himself had tried to deny until the cold, hard truth was only too clear. "I didn't want Sensei to call me an idiot. I didn't want him to look at me like I was stupid, like- I should've expected this. I know Iruka-sensei would never do that but… I couldn't help it."

There was more to come, and Kakashi stayed silent as Naruto abruptly stood, pacing off nervous, restless energy as he continued. "I mean, it's like everybody else already saw it. That Sasuke- That Sasuke had _changed_. Like Sakura-chan and I were the only people who still thought he was the same old Sasuke that left three years ago. Heh." Naruto shook his head bitterly. "Stupid us. He tried to kill me back then and I still thought…"

"I know, Naruto," he muttered. "I thought the same." Still hung on to the last tenuous threads of hope that their friend was still their friend, that they hadn't failed him and it wouldn't be long until this was all just a distant nightmarish memory- that _Sasuke was still their friend._

The blond's head whipped around to stare at him. His eyes blinked wide, but only for a moment before he regained his composure and started up his pacing. "I thought that he would kill Itachi and then come back home, and everything would be okay. I know, I know, he's missing nin and all, but it's not like he'd done anything against Konoha! And Itachi's a criminal and everything; I thought that if Sasuke killed him then the village would have to take him back. But- but I- I never thought that he'd-…"

"That plan relies on Sasuke wanting to come home," Kakashi cut in gently.

Naruto raised his head in the slightest impersonation of a defeated nod. "…Yeah."

The _and now, he doesn't want to come home _went unspoken by the both of them.

Naruto's pacing slowed to a hesitant stop. He now stood on the other side of the room, then quickly fell back against the wall like all the energy had been sucked out of him. "I'm worried." The confession was quiet, almost uncertain, hooded blood eyes dark and fearful. "…And the worst part is… I don't know anymore, if I'm worried about what Orochimaru will do to him- or… or what he'll do to himself."

Kakashi found himself unable to meet Naruto's eyes.

He didn't know what would be worse at that point- Orochimaru taking over Sasuke's body as he'd always planned, or Sasuke continuing on his current path and destroying himself all on his own.

He remembered distantly the bright-eyed naiveté of Naruto a long three years ago, when he'd promised that he'd bring Sasuke back no matter what. He'd let himself believe that solid determination, unwavering bravery, because Naruto was an easy person to believe and he so _wanted_ what he was saying to be true. Which was probably the same reason why Sakura had believed _him_ when he smiled that brilliantly false smile at her and promised that everything would be okay.

Because everything certainly wasn't okay now, and Naruto may not be able to get Sasuke back. Kakashi may not have seen it himself, but he could tell by the dark, almost lost look in Naruto's eyes that the Sasuke they'd met was not the same Sasuke that had left. It wasn't the one they still pursued, even now, and it wasn't the one they dreamed for and pictured when they looked at their old Team Seven photo, filled with longing for days that would never come to pass again.

That Sasuke was_ gone._

Any lingering doubts that Naruto, too, had been forced to realize this horrifying truth, vanished with the blond's next words.

"Kakashi-niisan… at the Valley of the End, Sasuke- he told me the price of getting the Mangekyou." Blue eyes flitted to Kakashi, and the jounin could already tell then where this was going. He raised a hand almost unconsciously and covered his Sharingan, lightly tracing the scar and resisting the urge to shiver.

Naruto continued without pause. "And you have it now."

Kakashi shifted uneasily in the dead silence that followed. Naruto opened his mouth again, then shut it, as if he was unsure of what to say, and Kakashi swallowed thickly and shook his head. "It wasn't like this, Naruto. Yes, I- I did kill my closest friend. But it wasn't anything like this. She hadn't gone rogue, she wasn't an enemy, she- … was just in the wrong place at the wrong time." _Quite literally. _

His right hand, his chidori hand, suddenly felt very cold. Kakashi blinked down at the scarred flesh. He found himself searching for the mark the sharp tip of her rib had pierced into his hand, the tiny wound he'd refused to let anyone heal, then tore his eyes away and shoved his hand into his pocket, hiding it.

What had happened back then wasn't going to happen now. Trying to draw parallels between the two situations was only going to make him feel sick, picturing Naruto in his place after that utter disaster, how much that had _hurt_-

His heart throbbed in protest at the very idea, both at Sasuke and dying and Naruto living through what he had, and he shook his head forcefully before he could think too far along that possibility. It just wasn't going to happen, so there was no use in thinking about it.

"…Do you think- Niisan, do you think I'll… if I have to, do you think that I could-" Naruto broke off and shook his head, voice wavering. He took a moment to breathe in the heavy silence, then tried again, voice shaking worse than before but no longer tripping over his words, almost afraid to say it.

"Do you think that if I had to, I could kill Sasuke?"

Kakashi's head snapped up.

Well, there went all his hope at never thinking of that possibility again.

He met Naruto's eyes, nothing how his voice had broken on the word _kill_ and his eyes were now lost and scared and wide, because Naruto didn't _want_ to kill Sasuke, didn't want to be able to, even, but now the possibility couldn't be ignored any longer.

"I couldn't kill Rin, when I had to," Kakashi whispered at last, and Naruto looked away. He seemed almost relieved, and that made Kakashi loathe to continue and take away what small peace he had given- but the he kept speaking anyway. Because he was going to give the whole truth, and not just a part of it. "But you've always been stronger than me, Naruto."

The look on Naruto's face in that moment made it feel like someone had just ripped Kakashi's heart out of his chest and stomped on it.

He opened his mouth to take it back, then shut it and stayed silent. Anything he said would just be empty, pathetic words, and they both knew it. Words meant little now.

"I'm sorry."

Kakashi looked back at Naruto then. Wasn't he the wrong one to be apologizing?

The blond sank back to the floor, hands over his face, shoulders shaking. "You're right, and I wish you weren't. I'm sorry that you're right. I could. Damn it, Niisan, if he- if he tried to hurt you, or Sakura-chan, or- or this village, then I- I could do it. I could kill him. I'm sorry. After everything, after all this time of you telling us that only something worse than scum goes against their teammate- I can still do it. I can still kill him. I wish I couldn't; what kind of a person does that _make me_, Niisan?!" he cried, slamming a fist against the floor. His voice was shaking; his face, distraught. "I don't _want_ to kill him! I don't want to hurt him- I- _I __just want him to come home!_"

The frustrated scream echoed off the walls, young voice filled with a heart-rending pain far beyond its years. Naruto let out a frantic, desperate sob mixed with rage as he curled into himself, a piercing longing glistening in his eyes that made Kakashi's heart ache.

Why couldn't Sasuke see this?

Why couldn't he see that all they wanted was for him to come home?

_But he didn't even care anymore_, he thought bitterly. He'd tried to kill them. If Sasuke thought of this place as his home anymore, it certainly didn't show.

If he thought of anything anymore besides his own cursed revenge, it didn't show.

Naruto stood unsteadily. His stumbling steps took him across the room, and he reached out with one shaking hand to raise the picture of Team Seven. He stared at it unblinkingly for one long, horrible moment.

Time almost seemed to stand still as they both looked at the photo of preserved happiness, a team that had brought the both of them far more heartbreak then joy.

And then the moment passed, and Naruto raised his arm to hurl it against the floor.

The glass shattered, and Naruto's resolve went with it.

The blond crumpled on the bed next to Kakashi, staring blindly down at his shaking fingers, expression blank and shattered by devastation. Kakashi didn't ask for an explanation, nor did he think he would get one if he bothered to.

Perhaps continuing to look at what, he now knew, would never exist again was just too painful.

Naruto fell asleep that night, curled up into an exhausted ball while his head had somehow ended up nestled against Kakashi's side. The jounin never once moved.

His lone eye looked down at the blond, expression still so tortured even in sleep, and made a decision.

If it did come down to them killing Sasuke, then he would be the one to do it.

Naruto might hate him for that, and he might not, but it came down to him just plain refusing to let the blond go any further down this path. Naruto had learned tonight that he was capable of killing his best friend, and that had broken him enough.

Actually carrying out the act would be far worse than this, he knew.

And so, if the day did come when Sasuke truly turned against Konoha and Team Seven found themselves facing him in battle once again, Kakashi would be the one to deal the fatal blow. It didn't really matter if he could handle it or not.

Just that Naruto couldn't.

That was all he had to know. Kakashi could very well remember the strangling agony he'd woken up to after one swift blow had ended Rin's life, of knowing he'd failed Obito, knowing he'd ripped apart everything Minato had loved- that pain wasn't something he would wish upon his worst enemy.

And it would be worse for Naruto, he knew, because Naruto wasn't like him. Naruto wasn't cold like him; he hadn't been a shinobi since before he could read, he was warm and alive and had feelings that he just couldn't _turn off_. Kakashi hadn't learned to live with the guilt from Obito and Rin and doubted he ever would, but Naruto; that crushing guilt would _kill_ him.

Kakashi would kill Sasuke himself before he watched Naruto suffer like he had.

He closed his eye tightly at the thought, a sudden chill taking a firm hold of him and refusing to let go. He remembered Minato's shaking words to him after Obito, and again after Rin, and always in his nightmares after Kyuubi.

_It's okay._

He could try to do as Minato would have, carry on the torch and repeat his words now. But it wouldn't help Naruto just like it hadn't helped him, because they weren't true.

No, it wasn't okay. It never had been and it never would be.


	13. The Impossible Choice

Thank you for reviewing! Well, I tried to do Jiraiya's death. But it just didn't work. I actually liked the way Iruka and Shikamaru helped Naruto then and didn't see anything for Kakashi to do after that, so... I skipped it. Sorry. I make up for that in this chapter, anyway, I'm pretty sure- it's time for Kakashi to die (and get brought back, of course). Kakash's revival was already spoiled for me when I got to the part in the anime when he died (thanks a lot, Eric...), so his death didn't make me AS sad as it would have otherwise. Thus, I tried to make this not AS sad as the last chapter by giving it a happy ending. Also, a bunch of quotes from Pein are floating around in here... too bad I have no idea when he actually says any of them, so I may have Naruto remembering something that Pein hasn't actually said yet. Oh well :D Enjoy!

(Fixed the problem where there was a stupid worthless line tacked onto the end of the chapter. I swear, I had already deleted that...)

* * *

_"There's nothing harder to accept than the deaths of those you love. So you believe they could never die."_

_..._

_"Is Kakashi-niisan on a mission?"_

_"…"_

_"…I see."_

It was Pein's words and Tsunade's non-answer that gave Naruto's clone his mission.

Because Pein was right. He wouldn't accept it, because he believed that _he_ would never die.

Just like Jiraiya...

It was a selfish mission, a personal desire in the midst of an invasion on the village that he loved and the destruction of everything he had ever known.

But Jiraiya was already dead. Naruto couldn't- _wouldn't_- take another one of his precious people dying. He would not take Tsunade's word for it.

The clone's desperate search ended when he turned and caught sight of one body, just one among dozens scattered throughout Konoha. It was Kakashi, and he was dead.

The clone dispelled just as Hinata was killed right before Naruto's very eyes, and he saw his friend and his sensei dead at once. The light left Hinata's pale eyes in the same moment that he saw Kakashi's broken and exhausted body, abandoned and all alone in the ruins of Konoha. Kakashi's blood- Hinata's blood- it was all the same, precious person dead gone forever, dead dead dead-

Because of_ that man_ standing above Hinata's body.

"Do you hate me?"

Naruto saw red.

* * *

_"It's all right, Naruto."_

How could it be all right? They were all dead.

_"Just unseal me. I will kill Pein for you. All of this agony- it is unnecessary. I can make it all go away."_

Why not? It was logically wrong, it was something he wasn't supposed to do. It was a Bad Thing. But everything, everything was wrong. What harm could one more wrong do?

He raised his head to stare dully at the seal. Kyuubi purred, egging him on.

_"Come, Naruto. If you release the seal, then I will take over. All of this pain and responsibility will disappear. Let me free. All those who have hurt you will die, and you will be with those you long for."_

Ero-sennin…

Kakashi-niisan…

Everyone was dead. Why shouldn't he be dead, too?

Naruto stood on shaky legs. He walked forward to touch the thin sheet of paper. Kyuubi's growl of anticipation was so loud it shook him to his core as he gripped the tiny little scrap, the only thing holding back the mass of power that made everything possible. Just one little movement, and this would all be over.

Just as Naruto began to tear, a hand slammed down over the seal, preventing him from achieving the peace just out of his reach.

Naruto let the hand move to grab at his wrist, pulling him back away from the seal to stand before the cage. It didn't register that someone else was inside his mind, nothing registered at all. Was he supposed to be shocked? How was he supposed to react?

Naruto raised his head because he felt like that was what he was supposed to. His eyes ran along a distinctive white and red coat, reading the words _Yondaime Hokage_ emblazoned on the cloth before they reached a man's face, a face that was too familiar and for all the wrong reasons. Naruto felt for a split second that he was looking in a mirror but no, that wasn't it. He head seen this man before, and it wasn't in a mirror.

His mind dully recalled the moment. The memory, once locked behind a Sharingan jutsu, now came forth without resistance, as Naruto stood within the confines of his own mind.

This was the man Kakashi had called his father.

_Yondaime Hokage…_

_Tou-san…_

Kyuubi gave a thunderous roar. "You…" the beast snarled, baring massive teeth and snarling from behind the cage. "Yondaie Hokage!"

The Hokage turned to stare at the beast, not even flinching when the fox threw its body against the bars and howled in anger. "Come here!" Kyuubi hissed. "Come here, and I'll rip you to shreds!"

"In that case, I think I'll stay over here."

Naruto blinked. What was the Hokage doing here? What was his father doing here?

The man turned back around to face him as Kyuubi growled again. "He's a loud one, isn't he? Let's go someplace quiet." He snapped, and just like that, the cage was gone, Kyuubi was gone, the seal was gone, everything was gone. Naruto had enough left in him to be surprised, but only just, when the darkness surrounding him melted into white and gold, a tranquil setting of peace and safety.

"You're quiet," the Hokage observed, and Naruto turned to look at him again. "Aren't you surprised to see me here?"

Naruto nodded numbly, because he was. He was also a bit upset that the man had shown up when he had. He'd been just about to escape this world, and then he decided to show up for the first time in his life?

Some father.

"I wove some of my Chakra into the seal, so that if you ever reached eight tails-"

"You are my father."

The Hokage blinked. The man tilted his head to the side as Naruto repeated the words again, frowning at how they felt in his mouth, at how the words 'my father' sounded on his tongue. He was talking with his _father_.

"Yes, Naruto. I am your father."

Naruto slowly shook his head, trying to clear it, then stiffened. "No," he whispered, then repeated it, louder. "No. You are not… I won't call you that. Iruka-sensei, Kakashi-niisan, Ero-sennin- _they_ raised me. You- you just sealed this _thing_ inside of me!"

The Hokage opened his mouth, but Naruto was angry now, and he wasn't going to let this man, Hokage or father or not, stop him. "You bastard! You sealed Kyuubi inside of your own son! Why?! Ero-sennin and Kakashi-niisan, they're _dead_ because of that!"

"I know, Naruto. I watched from inside of you-"

"I don't care! I don't care if you know it or not; they're still dead! Because of you, because you sealed Kyuubi inside of me! Do you know what I had to go through because of that?! Everyone hated me, I didn't have anyone and the whole village wouldn't have even cared if I died! And then I had Iruka-sensei and Kakashi-niisan and Ero-sennin, and they cared about me and helped me get stronger, but it didn't even matter because this group called the Akatsuki came after me and my friends, because they want Kyuubi, and they fought for me and they _died_ for me! I wasn't strong enough to protect them after everything they did for me and now- now they're gone, like Sasuke, except not like Sasuke because I'll never see them again and why am I talking about Sasuke, you don't know who that is, but… _but_…"

Naruto opened his mouth but no more words tumbled out; he couldn't speak anymore, his emotions were too conflicting, his memories fighting with each other for supremacy. His father was suddenly here, he was _meeting his father_ for the first time- he was supposed to be happy. But his father was the reason Kyuubi was inside of him, and the reason that his master and his niisan and his friends were dead.

He didn't know what to do and he didn't want to have to do anything. For a moment, he wished he could just tear off Kyuubi's seal and fade away, die, give up all of his responsibilities and pain in favor of peace.

_Your death will bring peace._

_There is no such thing as real peace! It's impossible as long as we live in this accursed world!_

_Only through pain can you find peace!_

_Tell me, Naruto. How would you find true peace?_

True peace.

What Jiraiya had always sought.

What Kakashi had longed for, but believed impossible.

What they and every single person in Konoha had died for- Pein's search for _true peace_. How could death bring peace?

Naruto didn't believe that it could. But they were dead, the people he cared about were dead. And Pein wasn't. He _had_ to kill Pein for killing them, but- but that wouldn't bring them back. Even if he killed Pein, they'd still be just as dead. And Jiraiya… Jiraiya would have wanted peace, not revenge. Always peace, never revenge.

"Naruto? Are you all right?"

Naruto looked at his father in slight surprise, his voice pulling him out of the memory of Pein. The Fourth Hokage looked almost concerned, a strange emotion that Naruto found familiar. It was the same look he had seen on Jiraiya's face, on Kakashi's, on Iruka's- and it was that concern that set him off.

His fist was moving before he realized what he was doing, and it connected with his father's stomach in a powerful blow that took with it all of his hate and rage, a fury he didn't even know why he had- for the past act of sealing Kyuubi into his own son or for Jiraiya and Kakashi, he didn't know, he didn't care, he just wanted to hit something. He wanted to hit what was responsible for this and stomp it into the ground until it was nothing more than dust, the dust that his village had been reduced to.

But Jiraiya wouldn't want him to- but, damn it, Jiraiya was dead!

Naruto blinked and was jerked back out of his memories of death again. There was his- his _father_, standing before him, clutching his chest and wheezing. Naruto still didn't know if he wanted to scream at him or hug him.

A moment passed in stunned silence before the Hokage slowly straightened up, expression a bit hesitant. "Well… I guess I deserved that. I don't think I could just come back and act like a father after Kakashi and Jiraiya have done much more for you than I ever did." The blond smiled sheepishly, but truly seemed apologetic, and Naruto still didn't know whether to be happy or sad. "I'm not them, though. Sorry. I know them being here would mean much more to you than I do, but- I can't make that happen. My purpose here is just to stop you from releasing Kyuubi- and I don't even have long to do that. My Chakra will fade soon."

Naruto reached down to trace the seal on his stomach. "I… I won't unseal him," he whispered, fingers clenching into the rough fabric of his jacket. "I know that… that's not what they would have wanted. But- but they're dead! Why should I keep doing what they want? I don't want this anymore! It's too hard!" He released his shirt from his fist and shook his head, taking a frantic step back. "I- I can't do this. I can't- what do I do? Someone tell me what to do!"

His father spoke quickly, carefully, each word weighted with true purpose. "Naruto. I know that you miss them. But you can not give up just because they are gone. Not just because they wouldn't want that- because they died for you. If you give up, then everything Konoha has gone through has been a waste. Even more than that- Naruto, I believe that you are the one who can accomplish what Pein will fail in. He wants peace but all he has brought is destruction. You want peace but would never kill like he has to get it. And… there is another reason that I am here, another reason that I sealed Kyuubi inside of you."

"Huh?"

"Kyuubi's attack on Konoha was planned, Naruto. …The masked Akatsuki member was responsible. And I sealed Kyuubi inside of you because I was not enough to kill him. Kyuubi's power was enough, but I needed someone who could control the beast- and almost no one is strong enough to do that. You were my son, though. I had faith that you would be strong enough. I'm sorry, because I know you must have suffered for it, Naruto… I wish it could have been done another way…"

* * *

"I'm sorry, because I know you must have suffered for it, Kakashi… I left behind too many regrets. Well, one regret- you. I didn't think there was another way-"

"I don't need any apologies," Kakashi interjected smoothly. "We're both dead now. The need for that is gone." He let his eye crinkle up into a masked smile. The mask was probably redundant now, but it had followed him along into the afterlife anyway.

His father smiled as well. "You're right. Apologies have no place among the dead. …Regrets, though… do you have any, Kakashi?"

Kakashi was a bit surprised when he found himself shaking his head. "…No," he murmured, almost disbelieving. His life had been one of regrets. How was it that he didn't have any now that it was finally over?

He began talking it out aloud, trying to understand it. "I mean, there are things I wish I had or hadn't have done. I wish I could've stopped being such an ass earlier in my life, so Obito wouldn't have died. I wish I could've gotten Rin back to Konoha- Kushina, the Uzumaki… maybe they could've done something about the seal so she wouldn't lose control over the Sanbi. I wish that I had taken care of Sensei's son earlier than I did; not let down his parents. I wish I had taken better care of Sakura and stopped Sasuke from leaving. But… regrets… I feel like they've all been taken care of. By… by… Naruto."

Sakumo nodded slowly at that. "Minato's son. …You know, Minato was one of the reasons that I could- well, you know. I knew he would take care of you. Probably better than I ever did."

Kakashi scoffed. "I didn't return the favor very well, that's for sure. Mianto-sensei would've been a wonderful father- I was just kind of bumbling along the way, making mistakes left and right. I think Naruto taught me more than I taught him."

Sakumo's dark eyes widened, and then he laughed- he just started laughing. Kakashi frowned in confusion. But his father just kept laughing. When the man finally recovered enough breath to speak, he managed, "Ka- Kakashi, that's _normal_. That's what being a father is. Learning on the way and making mistakes."

"A- a father?" he protested, shaking his head. "No, no- hardly! I didn't even speak to Naruto until he was ten, and, even then, I had my missions, and I didn't even- I just- you know, talked to him, let him stay with me if he wanted to, took care of him on missions after he graduated- nothing special. I just… tried to do what Minato-sensei did for me for him. But I don't think it worked very well. Sensei, he- he just seemed to know what he was doing. Most of the time, anyway."

Sakumo chuckled quietly. "I think you're idolizing him. Besides, it's the thought that counts. I'm sure Minato's son appreciates you, at any rate."

Kakashi kept silent. Perhaps Naruto had once appreciated him, he didn't know, but now… he'd died and left everything to him. Sasuke, fighting for Konoha- two responsibilities still left behind. He worried about how Naruto would fare in Pein's invasion, then shook his head. As long as Naruto stayed away from Konoha, he was safe.

But, surely he would find out soon what had happened. And then what? If there was one thing he could count on from Naruto, it was that he would rush into battle first and ask questions later. When he found out that Pein had killed him, and who knows who else… there would be no stopping him.

"I'm worried," he eventually confessed aloud. "The way I see it… Naruto's going to end up trying to fight Pein. Um, the man who killed me. But he killed Jiraiya- he invaded Konoha as just an army of seven and… gods, he's strong enough to destroy the village. And, knowing Naruto- he could get angry enough to lose control of Kyuubi. …Which is probably exactly what Pein wants. And I know that Naruto is strong, but he's not strong enough. Maybe to fight just one of Pein, but if he gets angry he'll end up fighting all six. He'll die."

"Don't be so quick to judge what he'll do. Unless you've really changed, Kakashi, you're not so rash and easy to manipulate- and from what you've told me, you practically raised him."

"Not me," Kakashi cut in hurriedly. "He had his Academy sensei long before me, and also there was Jiraiya. Don't give me any credit-"

"Regardless," Sakumo chuckled, shaking his head, "surely you have taught him something over all these years. Do you really think he would just place everything on revenge and ignore the rest of the world? What about his friend that you told me about, Sasuke, who did the same thing?"

Kakashi shrugged. "I'd like to think that I at least taught him that revenge… isn't worth it. But it's pretty obvious I failed with Sasuke. Probably did with Naruto, too."

"Or maybe Sasuke just didn't want to listen to you. You said he wanted revenge long before you ever met. Maybe he didn't care what you had to say, because all he had ever wanted was revenge. Naruto- I think you'll be pleasantly surprised when you find out how he will handle what's happened. In fact, I'm sure of it."

When Kakashi remained silent, Sakumo sighed and shifted to stare into the flickering fire. "In any case, I'm proud of you for being a better father… and a better person than I was. Don't give me that look, Kakashi. I took the coward's way out. You… you had much more of a reason to do it than I did, but you didn't. I know I had practically no hand in raising you, but I'm still proud to say that you are my son."

Kakashi looked away into the fire himself. "…Perhaps I didn't say this while you- er, we- were alive, but… I ended up being proud of what you did, too. On that mission, I mean. …One of the many things Obito taught me that I learned too late."

"It seems that we both learned many things too late."

* * *

"Naruto… I have faith in you. Whether you can forgive me or not for sealing Kyuubi inside of you, I will always have faith that my son can do this."

Naruto's mouth fell open.

He… what?

He worked his jaw for a couple of seconds before he finally managed to speak. "You- you… _have faith in me?_ But… why?! You don't even know me!"

The blonde smiled, an honest expression of happiness and truth. "That's what a parent does, Naruto. They have undying faith in their child. I have undying faith in _you._"

Naruto felt his emotions conflict again, a roiling ball of disagreement that would hardly let him breathe. His father… his father believed in him. His father, _the Fourth Hokage,_ believed in him.

Jiraiya believed in him. Kakashi believed in him.

_Konoha_ depended on him.

Right. Konoha.

The village may not still be standing, but there were those who had not been killed. Jiraiya, Kakashi, Hinata- they weren't his whole world. Sakura was there, and Iruka, and Lee- _his friends_ were still there. If he died now or let Kyuubi take over, then he would be letting them down, and the sacrifices Jiraiya and Kakashi and Hinata had made would be for nothing.

His father had sacrificed himself for Konoha, he realized with a jolt. He _could not_ let the village down now. Not when so many people had died for it and for him. If it had persevered through wars and Kyuubi, then it would survive the Akatsuki. Naruto would not let it be destroyed.

But that was the living. And Naruto had a rare moment with the dead right in front of him.

Logic said to be angry at his father. _Logic_ told him that man wasn't worthy of being called a father and that Naruto should curse and scorn him for being the reason that they were all dead.

But logic and his heart seemed to be having a disagreement, and Naruto had never been able to follow what his mind whispered was right over what his heart screamed was.

But his heart was too conflicted to decide.

_A bond worth having is a bond worth protecting. Any bond that's strong, that can withstand… _this_- that is a bond worth having. _

It took a few seconds for the strong memory to translate into a smile, but it did happen. Naruto slowly nodded and swallowed the lump in his throat. He was now a student with two dead teachers. The least he could do for them was practice what they preached, and fight for what they believed in. What they had raised him to believe in. Peace and bonds- the two went hand and hand, and Naruto was not going to let either slip through his fingers.

"Tou-san."

His father's blue eyes widened in surprise at the title, but Naruto just continued to smile.

"I don't know you very well, but I think you have to have been a good person, if Kakashi-niisan cared about you as much as he did- if you can believe in me, even when all you know about me is that I'm your son. And Niisan may not have taught me much in terms of jutsu or techniques, but he did teach me everything about being a good ninja- a good person. He taught me that a bond is something special and rare to have, and I should cherish the ones that I have managed to find. I don't know why you sealed Kyuubi into me, and I haven't met you until now- but if you can care about me, then I can care about you. It's… what Niisan would've wanted. What _I_ want."

His father's face slowly softened, finally relaxing into a smile of his own. "That… does sound like Kakashi," he admitted in a soft voice, then reached out to rest a hand on his shoulder. "What are you going to do? About Pein?"

"I don't know. But… I can't just kill him. That proves his point about war and suffering and hatred being an unbreakable cycle. No matter how much I hate him- I can't kill him. And even if I tried- everyone would still be just as dead. Killing him won't bring them back. And, my- the people he's killed, they wouldn't have wanted me to take revenge over peace, anyway."

The look on his father's face was peculiar. Naruto wasn't quite sure what that small smile and the light in his eyes indicated; it wasn't an expression he had seen very often and it wasn't one that he knew what to do with. He shifted awkwardly until his father spoke again, warm voice filling his heart with something he had always wanted but never thought he could hear.

"…I'm proud that I can call you my son."

_I'm proud to call you my student._

_I think Sandaime would've been proud you've come this far. I know I am._

Naruto had never believed that he would reach the day when he could have masters, teachers, and his _parents_ be proud of him, but it was as good as he had imagined it could be. In those days before he had met Iruka and he had imagined what it would alike to have parents- he had never imagined this.

And this was better than anything he ever could have believed would happen.

Naruto raised his eyes when he saw his father's form begin to waver and flicker. He opened his mouth in protest, then slowly shut it and nodded. He was no stranger with loss. If he had already lost almost everything, then he wasn't going to complain about this, not when he was lucky to have even got this short moment with his father.

His father's face betrayed both pride and sadness when his form wavered again, and the hand on his shoulder tightened. "I have to go soon."

Naruto nodded. "I know."

"…I know your mother would have been very proud of you, too."

The mention of his mother opened up a whole new realm of questions that he wanted to ask, but there was no time- no time for a single one. His father was already fading.

The Fourth Hokage managed one short message before he disappeared entirely. "I'm glad that you and Kakashi had each other, even if it wasn't for very long. I'm glad that Jiraiya found such a worthy disciple to pass on his nindo to. And I'm glad that I can say that my son is not just a good ninja- he is also a good person."

Naruto felt his heart swell with happiness until he was convinced it would burst, and it took him a moment to regain enough control of himself to speak. Just before his father disappeared, he called out to him. "Tou-san. When you see them, tell them… not to worry. That I've got it from here. They did their part. …And… that I love them and won't forget them."

His father smiled again, right before he disappeared entirely. His voice echoed, remaining behind for a moment, before it faded as well.

"They know, Naruto…"

* * *

"I can not forgive you."

Nagato's answering smile was not exactly triumphant, it was sad, but the sickly redhead look victorious all the same.

"I hate you, and I want you dead."

"Now, do you see, Naruto? The unbreakable cycle of-"

"But I will not kill you."

Both Nagato and Konan stared in surprise. The blond before them was different than the shinobi who had lost control of himself in the ruins of Konoha. He stood tall and determined, the weight of death no longer hanging on his shoulders, blue eyes clear and sure.

Naruto nodded and continued slowly, his voice steady and calm. "If I fight you now, then all I will be doing is proving you right about- about everything. About peace being unobtainable and this cycle of hatred being unbreakable. If I do that, then everyone you killed in Konoha, everyone who died- they died for nothing. And I won't let that happen. My master wanted peace, and I will find it. I will finish what he could not."

"Why?" Nagato asked hoarsely, thin voice disbelieving and unnatural eyes wide. "How can you be so confident in this, still? How can you not hate me enough to kill me, after what I have taken from you?"

"I do hate you enough to kill you. I will never forgive you for what you have done to my friends and my village. But… peace is more important than my own revenge. I want peace, because- because I never want anyone else to feel like I do now! Peace means there is no war. Peace means there is no senseless death and violence, peace means no more people will have to watch their friends and loved ones die. My master wanted to stop that- and now that I've felt _pain_ like you wanted me to, I understand why. And that is why I can not kill you. Because this _unbreakable_ cycle of hatred and war- I will break it! I will not let you and the Akatsuki create an illusion of peace where everyone is too scared to fight, because that's not true peace! That is not true peace, and that is not what my master wanted!

"I will not kill you because I will not let my master, my friends, my niisan- I won't have let them die in vain. I will find peace. I will find it! And if you still insist on trying to take me because you want Kyuubi, I will fight you, because I will not let you succeed in your quest for false peace.

"I can not kill you because I loved the people you killed. My love for them is stronger than my hate for you, and that is why that I will seek peace and not revenge. Because that's what they would have wanted, and that is what will give their deaths meaning."

* * *

Kakashi didn't know what to expect when he opened his eyes and saw blue sky.

He was dead. He had been dead. So… what was he doing here?

"Senpai!"

He blinked and looked in the direction of the voice. What the…

Yamato was kneeling next to him, expression frozen in a rictus of shock. His pale face glistened with sweat and his short hair and skin were caked and smudged with dirt, but he looked uninjured- and it was only then that Kakashi remembered that his kohai had had a mission and hadn't even been in the village when Pein had attacked.

Right. He had been somewhat relieved…

Kakashi tested his muscles, half afraid that he would find nothing there and that he was just some spirit sucked back into the world. But no, his body was _there_ and he could move and he found himself sitting upright and looking around in confusion.

Hadn't he died in Konoha? Where was Konoha?

Kakashi's view flipped as he was suddenly tackled to the ground, a pair of arms wrapped tightly around him, their owner pulling them both down to the dirt. "I thought you were dead!"

_So did I…_

Yamato withdrew a few seconds later, shaking a bit, almond shaped eyes downcast. "S-sorry. I just…" The Mokuton user swiped at his face with a trembling hand, scrubbing at sweat and mud until Kakashi snagged his slightly red hand and pulled it back.

He stared at the slight burn in worry. His teeth bit onto his lower lip and he raised his head to look at his kohai, still lightly fingering the burn. He recognized that injury. "This is…"

Yamato looked away.

Kakashi steadfastly ignored the guilt he saw in his eyes and stood immediately. "When? How bad?" he asked tersely, dusting himself off as Yamato stood as well.

"It was a f-few hours ago. I felt Naruto go straight into six tails- we knew something was wrong, that Konoha had to have been attacked, so Anko stayed behind and I came back as fast I could. It didn't matter… it was only about half an hour later when he… he… nine tails. He got nine tails, Senpai."

Kakashi felt his blood run cold.

_Nine_ tails. _Nine. _

_Naruto._

"Then- then what?!" Kakashi managed, panic taking over as he desperately grabbed at Yamato's hand again and turned it over. There was no seal, none- there had to be something else, or that seal would still be there, the number nine emblazoned into pale flesh.

Yamato shifted uneasily. "...About an hour after that... the seal vanished. He didn't downgrade like usual; just from nine to zero. ...Kakashi-senpai- there's no way that can happen naturally. And considering who he was fighting... I think that..."

_He's dead._

Kakashi shook down to his very core.

No, Yamato was just lying, he was lying, that's it, he was just-

_He's dead. _

Or maybe he was just late, yes, that's it, he downgraded from nine to zero in a freak occurrence and now was just very, very late or lost or-

_He's dead._

Kakashi numbly gasped, faintly aware that he was barely breathing. He felt almost lightheaded and dizzy and _Naruto was dead _and couldn't really think that well and _Naruto. Was. Dead- _

He shook his head forcefully, trying to deny it, refusing to accept it. Naruto could _not _be dead. Not again; he would not lose another- never again. _Father Obito Rin Sensei Na-_

_No! He's not dead!_

"Where are we?!" he gasped as soon as he could speak, looking around desperately for anything he could use to prove that he just wasn't dead. "Where is Naruto?!"

Yamato shook his head helplessly. "I don't know, Senpai. When I got back to the village, he was already gone. They said he lost control against Pein and ran, taking the fight out of Konoha. But if you- if you're a-alive, then… then… he must have won, Ka-"

"How do you figure that?! There's no rule saying if you kill the enemy, then everyone _he_ killed comes back to life! I don't- …Yamato… you said- are we _in Konoha?!_"

Yamato nodded slowly, seemed confused before understanding lit his eyes. "Oh. Right. I guess you must have… died before Pein- um, he destroyed the village, Kakashi-senpai."

Kakashi stared in disbelief.

He what?

Kakashi looked around again, this time with the realization that he was in Konoha. The rubble, the dust, the cracked stones- gods, this was his _village. _How could this have happened?

He finally managed to shake his head and calm himself. He still felt slightly odd, removed- in shock. But he had only two responsibilities- the first, to protect Konoha, the second, to protect his precious people.

It certainly looked like he had failed in respect to his first one. But his precious person was still out there.

He shook his head again, turning to move through the wreckage and doing his best to not look too closely at the destruction. "I'm going to get Naruto."

Yamato stared in shock. "S-senpai? ...Naruto is-"

Kakashi didn't even look back. "I'll find him. I'll use my nose or just follow the trail he and Pein must have left. I'll find him somehow, Yamato."

"But, Kakashi-senpai-!"

Kakashi took one final breath before preparing to leap into the trees. His muscles were still stiff and aching from death- gods, he had just been _dead_- but he ignored the pain. Relished it, even, because pain meant he was alive. "He saved me, Yamato. Somehow. I'm not going to sit here and wait for someone else to take action, and I am not going to return home without him. He is alive until someone finds a body."

Yamato stared helplessly after him as the jounin disappeared.

* * *

Naruto really, really wanted to get home. He didn't want to be passing out.

But that's what it felt like was going to happen. He was lightheaded, it was getting hard to see, and it felt like every step took a lot more energy than it should. Kyuubi growled quietly within him, thoroughly locked away and sealed up; not a hint of his Chakra was leaking through now to help.

Just this once, Naruto would've been more than grateful for the demon fox's aid, because he wanted to get home _now_. He needed to get home right now to see if what Nagato had said was true.

But it seemed like his body had other ideas.

Why was the ground moving up to his face? The ground wasn't supposed to do that.

Oh. The ground was softer than it should be. And warm. And shaped weirdly. And it was still moving.

"Naruto?"

It spoke, too. How strange.

Wait.

"Naruto?"

That wasn't the ground. That was…

Naruto smiled and buried his face in Kakashi's neck.

* * *

It was sometime later, when they weren't that far away from the outskirts of Konoha, that Kakashi stopped. They sat together in the waning light, listening to the distant sounds of chaos and reconstruction that they could not yet see.

It didn't take long for Naruto's thoughts to turn into words, words that he spoke while staring out at the forest with a distant look in his eye, the jounin beside him not looking his way either. "Nagato was right, you know."

"Hmm?"

Naruto remembered then, that Kakashi had been dead when the Akatsuki leader had explained his true motives, explaining matters of eternal peace and unbreakable revenge. That he didn't know who Nagato even was, only remembering him as the man that had destroyed his home and taken his life. So Naruto explained it all for him, though it didn't sound quite so eloquent and powerful in his raspy, tired voice and simpler, less confident words he used when compared to Pein's- Nagato's- declarations.

"He was right," he finished with again, lowering his head to stare at the earth. It was scorched in one place, and he wondered when and how it had happened in the previous battle that had destroyed the village without truly taking a single life. "About... everything, really. Or almost everything. The way he was going about it was wrong, but peace, revenge, hatred... we've both seen Sasuke. He doesn't care about who or what he hurts, just so long as he gets his revenge. And I know I'll always forgive him, but others won't, and if he hurts them then they'll try to hurt him and- and it will never stop, will it? Not just for Sasuke. For everybody." Naruto shook his head faintly and swallowed, allowing his shoulders to slump with the weight of the burden they'd just received. "I meant what I said to Nagato. I will find a way to get what he and Jiraiya wanted. But... he was also right in asking me how I was going to do that. Because I have absolutely no idea."

It was silent after that. Kakashi didn't make any reply except to just breathe. Naruto actually glanced over at him to make sure he still was- because no matter how much time passed, he would _never_ forget the horror and the memory of seeing Kakashi _dead_- and he found the jounin sitting just like he was, still staring out into the forest. After a moment under Naruto's scrutiny, he spoke, uncovered eye distant. "You didn't kill Nagato. Why?"

Naruto blinked, then managed a weak smile. "I wanted to. I don't think I've ever wanted anything more than that, but..."

"He killed Jiraiya, me, Shizune, Hinata- destroyed your home- tried to kill you. In this cursed system of ours, that's considered more than enough provocation to kill someone. So why didn't you do it?"

Naruto glanced at Kakashi knowingly. The jounin was pushing, looking for the right response. Well, Naruto had been looking for the right response, too- any sort of a response, any sort of answer to just how the hell he was going to fulfill his promise. Kakashi had better be going somewhere with this... "I didn't do it because I knew it wasn't worth it. If there's anything I've learned from watching Sasuke, it's that revenge is not worth it. Even with it right there in front of me... it wasn't right. Killing him wasn't going to bring you back, or me any happiness. Killing him would just be proving him right- that revenge and hatred were inescapable, and human nature would never allow for peace."

"You didn't kill him because you could chose peace over revenge."

Naruto shrugged at that, looking back at the forest. He heard Kakashi finally turn his head to look at him and speak again. "You made the choice yourself. Now you just have to convince the rest of the world to make it, too. Nagato took everything from you, just like Itachi took everything from Sasuke. Only you made the opposite decision he did. Naruto... after what you've done today, you'll be able to convince Konoha. And after that? Just the rest of the world. You'll be able to do it because _you've already made the impossible choice._ Convincing others to do it won't be anywhere near as hard as making it yourself."

Naruto sucked in a surprised breath. He raised his head, turning back to Kakashi, to find that the jounin had pulled his mask down and he could see him smiling. Kakashi's uncovered smiles always took him by surprise; the innocent, joyful expressions that almost no one ever saw contrasted sharply with the indifferent manner the jounin tried to project, but right now, Naruto saw nothing but happiness and confidence on the man's face.

Confidence in_ him_.

Kakashi probably hadn't expected to be tackled in a hug, but it happened anyway, and his bare mouth opened in laughter as he rolled so he was on top. "Nicest resurrection present I've gotten," he joked, and Naruto stopped this short of smacking him upside the head.

"It's the only one you're ever getting. I'm not bringing you back to life again, you hear? So don't you dare think of dying again!"

Kakashi chuckled softly. "Wouldn't dream of it." He glanced out in the direction of the village, heaved a sigh, then stood. "Well, we'd better get going. Any later and I'm probably going to be declared an enemy of the village if I keep them and their hero separated any longer."

Naruto beamed up at Kakashi, and he let the jounin walk a few steps before glancing back at him. "You coming? Or am I going to have to carry you piggyback all the way home?"

Naruto reluctantly climbed to his feet, somehow unable to break Kakashi's gaze. The jounin quirked an eyebrow at him, tilting his head to the side. "What? I got something on my face?"

He chuckled at that, ducked his head, and when he looked back up, it was to smile softly at Kakashi. "Thanks, Niisan."

Kakashi blinked. He stood there, just staring at him in the silence, then nodded and smiled back.


	14. Niisan, Forgiveness, or Moving On

Thank you for reviewing! Well… I can hardly believe it, but this is the end. But I have three versions of the end! Because one plot bunny took up residence in my brain after 635 and wouldn't go away, even when we found out Kishi was just trolling and it was genjutsu, but I couldn't bear to end what was supposed to be a HAPPY fic in character death. So, there are three endings. Take your pick:

Ending one: the ending to manga chapter 635 (Kakashi and Obito stabbing each other) was not genjutsu. (My first real attempt at) Character death (obviously). (It got drawn out a little. I think because I didn't want to kill Kakashi. My poor muse couldn't take it; she's crying now…)

Ending two: the Allied Forces win the war, Kakashi and Naruto both survive, but Obito and StillEvil!Sasuke were both killed. Complete angst warning.

Ending three: Allied Forces win the war, Kakashi and Naruto both survive, but no angst and all fluff. Complete I-still-can't-write-fluff warning.

Feel free to pick whichever way you want it to end :D Well… this has really been fun, you all! Thank you EVERYBODY who has reviewed, favorited, or followed! For the last time- I hope you enjoy!

**Ending One**

Obito was dead, and Kakashi was dying.

Brain matter was splattered all over his fist, his Chidori having pierced straight through Obito's head and melted the one organ not even his half-Zetsu body could live without. His old friend was even more unrecognizable now than he was before, gaping, bloodied hole for a face and a body that was only half-human lying dead in a world that wasn't even its own.

A world that Kakashi would die in, too- because he was dying, and he didn't have the strength to get home.

He fell from his knees to his back, sprawled across the only other human form in this vast landscape. But Obito was covered in blood and icy, icy cold, so much so he didn't even feel human anymore. Kakashi latched onto his arm, holding onto whatever he could while he waited for the end to come and the pain to stop, because_ god_ it hurt and he knew nothing was getting him out of it this time.

But Obito was waiting for him now, this time for sure, and even though he would've screamed with the agony if he weren't choking on his own blood, that knowledge gave him the relief to stay sane through the torture and just wait until his body gave out.

Except…

Kakashi didn't want to die _here_. He didn't want to die with Obito here where no one would ever find them, bodies lost forever and last breaths taken alone without someone beside him. He'd died alone before once, and that was enough. Selfish or not, he didn't care- he just wanted to die in his own world. His _home_.

_Please, kami-sama, don't let me die here…_

He could remember blond hair and blue eyes, and he found himself wanting that sight by him as he died. Naruto didn't deserve the pain of watching someone he cared about die but Kakashi just _didn't care_. All he wanted was to not die alone. He just wanted someone beside him.

_I can not die here…_

He couldn't give up now! If he died here- he'd never see his home again. He'd never see Naruto again. One last time, that was all he wanted, one last time- to die in his home, not this cold, lonely other dimension, _home_.

_I will NOT die here…!_

Kakashi wrapped his arms around Obito with one last Herculean effort and then he _screamed_, pouring every last ounce of energy he had into his- Obito's- eye. He sucked the dying flickers of strength from the body beside him and used them, too, pulling forth on everything there was and throwing it towards one last desperate wish.

_TAKE US HOME!_

* * *

Naruto had the luck to be watching when the kamui vortex opened up for what would be the last time.

What started out as a heart-stopping relief grew into disbelief and amazement as he saw one grey head and the back of one very familiar ninja be dropped back into this world, because he was bleeding and slouching and shaking but _alive_, Kakashi was _alive_ and that was the last piece of the puzzle, everything was finally all okay again and _nothing _could ruin this, _nothing_.

He saw Kakashi sway and collapse, right into a stunned Minato's arms, and then Naruto was running over the battlefield and calling his name, so thrilled he could've jumped for joy. "_Niisan! Niisan!_"

But the closer he got, the more he realized something was wrong. Kakashi was clutching something,some_one_ tight to his chest, and he wouldn't let go, no matter how hard Minato was pulling at his arms. Naruto skidded to a stop beside them and dropped down to his knees, and he felt bile rise in his throat and almost had to turn away and be sick.

Obito's face was _gone_. Melted or blasted off; it now looked like some macabre, hideous, grotesque version of the original orange mask he had worn as Tobi.

Naruto was pulled out of his horror by the sound of desperate sobs, of an agony deeper than he had ever heard before, and he blinked to find Kakashi shaking his head and crying and resisting every single attempt Minato made to take the body away from him. The distraught jounin clung on tight, even when Naruto added his own strength to the efforts and tried to separate the two.

"Niisan," he whispered, voice shaking and not sounding at all like himself. "Kakashi-niisan, it's okay now. You're back. It's just me, it's okay, you can let him go now."

But Kakashi shook his head and clung on harder, sobbing as Minato tried to pry trembling fingers off Obito's cold, limp arms.

Somewhere in the chaos, Sasuke dropped down on the jounin's other side. Without a word, he began to help, stoic, pale features blank as he tried to shift Obito's ruined body off of Kakashi's. Naruto focused on helping his father unlock Kakashi's arms from their death grip on the body.

"_Sakura!_"

Sasuke's scream froze his efforts. Because Sasuke was not supposed to sound like that, was not supposed to sound shocked and disbelieving and _worried_; Sasuke was always the one who held it together no matter what and remained indifferent and unaffected by everything. If _Sasuke_ sounded like _that_, then something was very, very wrong.

Naruto turned back to face him to see him staring down in disbelief, mouth slightly open and black eyes wide. He bellowed Sakura's name again, still without raising his head, and Naruto felt like time was almost in slow motion as he looked down himself to see just _what_ was making Sasuke look like that.

Then he saw the gaping hole in Kakashi's stomach.

* * *

So, so many people were screaming. He wished they would stop; this wasn't a very nice way to go. But at least he was home; if there were other people here, then he had made it home, and that was really all he'd wanted.

But, still, all this screaming was driving him crazy. There was someone yelling Sakura's name, over and over again, and some other familiar voice that kept repeating his name in some kind of panicked mantra, and that was weird, and then someone else was just _screaming_. Not words, not any recognizable sounds, just a pure, tortured scream.

Someone tried to rip Obito from him again, harder than before, and this time no matter how tight he clung it didn't work. His body went flying away from his, the sudden weight disappearing and the disgusting, squelchy remains Obito's head had been reduced to no longer blocking his vision. He blinked as bright sunlight suddenly flooded his eyesight, wanting something beside a white glare to be the last thing he saw before-

Oh… that was nice.

He smiled weakly up at Minato. But that wasn't the Minato he remembered; _his_ Minato was always smiling, but this one was distraught and panicked and horrified, and his beautiful blue eyes were overtaken by the black of Edo-tensei.

Kakashi opened his mouth to tell the man to at least smile for him; hallucination or not, he couldn't think of anything he wanted to see more. But the moment he tried to talk, he started to cough, and then the agony ripped through his nonexistent gut, and he was lost in a red haze.

* * *

Sakura arrived just as Kakashi let out a pale, unearthly yell, a blood-curdling screech that echoed across the smoking field in one of the most tortured sounds Naruto had ever heard. He didn't let it stop him, he _couldn't_; he just pointed at the horrible, black wound and screamed for her to do something, to heal him, to _fix_ him, get that horrible, agonized look off her face and just _save him!_ But Sakura wasn't moving, she was just kneeling and staring, and she didn't react even when he grabbed her hands and thrust them over Kakashi.

"_Do something!_"

Sakura's eyes raised to meet his. They were wide and her lip was trembling like she was about to cry, and why was she looking like that she'd healed Kakashi before, she'd _healed them all before_, why was she looking like that now?! She shouldn't be looking like that now, because if she kept staring at him like that then she was going to make him think that this was something she couldn't fix.

It was Sasuke who took Sakura's shaking hands and moved them back. Naruto looked from the medic to to him, eyes wide in disbelief because _this was not happening_, and Sasuke just shook his head.

"She can't help him, Naruto."

Sasuke's voice, Sasuke's face, it was all just slightly _off_, like he almost couldn't believe what was happening. But Naruto shook that off quickly and turned back to Sakura, because Sasuke just didn't know what he was talking about, he was being stupid as usual and misunderstanding because _that_ wasn't what Sakura was saying; of course she could help Kakashi. He wasn't going to die; that wasn't how it _worked_, god damn it!

But when he opened his mouth to tell Sakura to act and prove Sasuke wrong, the look on her face made the words die before they reached his mouth.

Sakura was staring back down at Kakashi. Her hand was clutched tightly over her mouth, like she was trying to hold in a sob, and she didn't look like she was about to cry anymore, she _was_ crying, wet tears silently brimming over one by one to drip down and seep under her hand.

"She _can't_ help him, Naruto."

Sasuke repeating himself didn't help any, not at all.

"Then go get someone!" he screamed, grabbing her by the shoulders and trying to shake her out of it, because the longer she just sat there the longer Kakashi was bleeding, and he couldn't just keep bleeding forever, but he _wasn't going to die!_ "Tsunade, _Orochimaru! __**Someone, ANYONE!" **_

No one moved.

Sakura's horrorstruck eyes raised to meet his, then, and she just barely shook her head.

He _knew_ then.

* * *

When Kakashi could think again, he realized it didn't hurt so much anymore. He had less time left now; last time he'd died, the less pain he felt the faster his time was running out. But he was ready to die this time, and he knew what was waiting for him, so that wasn't as scary anymore.

It took more effort than it should have to open his eyes, but he did, anyway. He didn't want his last memories alive to be of nothing but darkness.

The first thing he realized was that Minato was still there, but his eyes were still black, so he definitely wasn't dead yet. He still looked painfully sad, though, and he didn't understand for a second until he finally realized whatever cruel gods of fate there were had brought Minato back just in time for the rest of his team to die. And Minato had always cared about him, more than he should have, probably, even after Obito (_not really_) and Rin had died because of him.

But there were other sounds, too, other sounds and things that didn't make any sense. He could hear a constantly sobbed out _Sensei… _by his right side, someone who kept crying the word into his hand and was clutching his arm so tight it probably should've hurt. And there was someone on his other side holding that hand, too, but looser, not like they thought if they could just hold him tight enough he wouldn't leave.

He tried to tilt his head up enough to see, and Minato noticed, because his sensei shifted forward so his head was in his lap and he was propped up enough to look at what was touching him and crying and talking.

Naruto, Sakura, and Sasuke.

_So, Sasuke… you finally came home._

All the effort it took to smile was worth it.

Sakura was sitting next to the once lost member of Team Seven. She was the one grasping his arm so tightly and muttering _Sensei _over and over again, mournful and longing and so filled with pain he wanted to say he was sorry. Sorry for what she was feeling right now, because surely it was his fault, sorry for neglecting her when she was younger and not managing to hold Team Seven together longer and not giving her the attention she wanted as she got easier, because if ever there was a time for last words, it was now. He wanted to tell her to not feel guilty about this, because he knew her well enough by now to know she would blame herself for not being strong enough to heal him, and he wanted to say it was okay, he didn't mind not being able to be fixed.

But the ability to speak was beyond him, by this point.

Sasuke looked like he wasn't quite sure what he should be feeling. He wasn't crying like Sakura or distraught like Minato; he seemed almost confused. Gone was his usual cold, bland appearance; he was feeling something, and that was written plainly on his face, but it almost seemed like he didn't understand what was happening. Kakashi decided that if he had any last words for Sasuke, they would be for him to never leave them again, and perhaps a _welcome home. _But Sasuke had never wanted to hear what he had to say, so maybe it was a good thing he couldn't speak.

The grip on his other hand tightened then, so strong it surely wasn't healthy. Kakashi wanted to laugh at the thought, because surely his last concern _now_ should be what was healthy. He managed what sounded like a weak, dying croak, even to his own ears, and thought idly it probably would be easier if the blood-soaked mask wasn't in his way. But if speaking was too hard, then moving certainly was out of the question. Kakashi looked back up at Minato, just _thinking_ really hard at him what he wanted, hoping he would understand.

Minato always had been able to read him like an open book, and it seemed death hadn't changed that. He closed his black eyes and nodded, slowly bringing one hand up to remove the cloth he suddenly didn't want to die with.

No, it wasn't easier to breathe or talk at all, but he was glad it was down all the same.

He heard a break in all the sad sounds around him, the silence drawing him to look back at his team. Sakura wasn't crying anymore, but she looked like she still wanted to, and Sasuke looked even worse, like he was finally starting to understand now. He realized with a vague sense of amusement this was the first time Sakura had seen his face when he'd had any say in the matter, and the first time Sasuke had seen it _ever_.

Something about that was very sad, and he found himself wishing he had pulled his mask down for them more often. Perhaps Sakura would've appreciated the trust it showed, and Sasuke, well…

But the one member of Team Seven he _had_ pulled his mask down for was here, too.

Naruto had never looked like this before. Not after Sasuke had left, not after Jiraiya died, not when the Raikage ordered Sasuke's death- _never_ before had Kakashi seen Naruto like this.

He was sobbing, but silently. His whole body was shaking and his eyes were shut tight and tears were streaming down his face, but he wasn't even making a sound. He looked like he wanted to scream but didn't have the strength to yell, like he wanted to help somehow but there was nothing left for him to do.

His silent agony made Kakashi want to speak, say _something_ to him to make him realize that it was going to be okay, that it wasn't all bad and at least the war was won, right? At least Sasuke had come back, right? Just because he was dying, that didn't mean-

_Except I don't want to die this time. _

The realization made him gasp, and it _hurt_. Heavily ironic, for him to live more than half his life not caring if he lived or died but _now_, now that the moment was finally here, he wanted to live.

Because it hadn't mattered what happened to him when his whole family was waiting for him on the other side.

But now they were all _here_. His second family was back together again, after three long years they were finally _here_ again, and Sakura and _Naru__to_ had never left in the first place, and he was such an idiot all this time to think he still felt like he missed the dead ones more than he cared about the living. Because he _didn't_; he hadn't for a long time now, not since Naruto had first accused him so long ago of just abandoning him, called him Kakashi-niisan, and _forced_ him to stop shirking responsibility and pay attention to those left behind.

And now that that he had _finally_ managed to understand consciously what he had figured out subconsciously so long ago, he had to die.

_But I don't want to! I don't want to leave yet, I want to watch Sakura finally have us all back as her boys again and be happy, I want to watch Sasuke come home again and stay, I want to watch Naruto become Hokage! I want to watch that all happen; I can't die yet!_

It was far too late for any of that, though.

He felt Minato's arm that was still around his neck, supporting him, squeeze his shoulder, and he wondered desperately if this was how his teacher had felt when he had died. Then he knew it was. He may have died for a worthy cause, but he was leaving behind his only son, a baby only old enough to sleep and cry. At least Kakashi had been able to watch Naruto grow up, even if from a distance or going through the things no father or overprotective niisan wanted to watch him suffer through. Minato hadn't even had that.

It didn't hurt at all anymore. He couldn't feel a thing below his nonexistent stomach and the rest of him no longer even ached. He fought the numbness this time, trying to breathe deeper and catch onto something that he could keep hold of, to stop himself from slipping away. But there was nothing, nothing at all here to keep him grounded, and his breath caught in his throat because _this was it_. He was dying and he couldn't stop it.

His vision started to fade, the intricacies of shapes and patterns disappearing while colors drained away, leaving a bleached an imperfect world. He could still see pink and white to one side, then nothing but orange on the other, and that orange was what he focused on. He couldn't die silently, damn it, he wouldn't! He may have lived his life not saying the things that needed to be said most, that Naruto, above all others, _deserved_ to hear, and Pein killing him hadn't changed that.

But now he finally understood just what Naruto had done for him, and Naruto needed to hear it.

* * *

"Thank you."

It was a hoarse, dying whisper, not at all like the usual lazily quiet voice laced with boredom, but it made Naruto freeze anyway.

He hadn't expected to hear Kakashi speak again; thought he was gone already, his body unconscious for the last time while his heart struggled to beat on until it just couldn't anymore. But that was Kakashi, no doubt, and the man had always had his way of surprising them, anyway.

He raised his head to see Kakashi looking right at him. He was definitely awake and aware, both his eyes, one grey and one a soft, unfamiliar brown watching him. A trail of blood ran from the corner of his mouth across his bare, pale cheek, but he was smiling. Looking at him with a weak, tiny smile like he wasn't dying.

It hurt too much to speak, but Kakashi continued anyway. His ruined chest heaved as he struggled to get the words out, coughing and sputtering, bubbles of blood gurgling up but going ignored by the jounin entirely. "Naruto. For… making me understa… . I've been a… alone since Sensei died." He turned his head a little, brushing his cheek up against Minato's leg, and the man holding him bowed his head and shut his eyes, gripping his shoulder even tighter than before. "You made me… not alone. Gave me… a reason- to want to… live. To… be… happy."

Naruto was sobbing so hard he couldn't talk. Some tiny part of him wanted to scream at Kakashi to shut up; to tell the idiot that was he going to be fine and to stop talking like this, that he could say whatever he wanted to later, but the rest of him bitterly reminded that other part that there wasn't going to be any later.

Not this time.

"Thank you for letting me be your niisan."

The words took Naruto's breath away.

Somehow, even though he was still shaking and crying and could barely even breathe he managed to speak, clinging onto Kakashi's hand and refusing to let go as the words forced themselves out between tortured sobs. "Don't stop. Don't stop! Don't do this now! Please, _don't!_ You can't! You _can't_ leave me like this; don't stop being my niisan! _You can't leave me like this!_"

Kakashi's mouth opened again, but no words came out. He tried again, still failed, then appeared to give up. He looked almost frustrated with his inability to talk and _sad_; he didn't look like the Kakashi his clone had found after Pein, calm and peaceful like he'd accepted it. He looked like a man who didn't want to die, but even as Naruto watched, Kakashi seemed to stop fighting it. His breaths came even easier now, shorter and shallower and with longer distance in-between. His features were no longer twisted in frustration as he tried to hold on longer but relaxed, dull with a sadness that was still acceptance.

His mouth opened again. No sound came out, but it formed the words anyway.

_I love you. _

Something in his eyes shifted. Like a light turning off, they went from staring at him to staring _through_ him, half-turned up in a smile to relaxing down, erasing all the signs of the way only Hatake Kakashi could smile. The expression was still on his mouth, though, the corners still turned upwards, lips still forming the last word he hadn't managed to say but that Naruto had still heard anyway.

While Kakashi stared through him and smiled, Naruto picked up the cold hand he still clung to so tightly and clutched it to his heart. His beat on while Kakashi's did not; he could feel that now. No pulse beat on cheerfully, languidly slow but always constant and steady in his wrist, not even when a tear dropped onto the skin.

**Ending Two**

The weeks after the war's end passed slowly.

There were a few pleasant events, reasons to smile instead of look down and be sad. The war was over, for one. They had beaten Madara and Obito and were alive. No more Tsuki no Me. The world not coming to an end was always something to be glad about.

Konoha had a new Hokage- that was another thing to celebrate. Tsunade wasn't dead, but there was something about being ripped in half that had put a damper on her skills. She was in no condition to be Hokage anymore, regardless of the fact that she'd somehow stitched herself back up together again.

Nevertheless, at the official ceremony crowning Naruto as their new Hokage, Tsunade had handed him the hat and robes and made sure to say that he wasn't being given the title simply because the village was in need of one. He deserved it more than anyone, and not one of the villagers had disagreed.

Nevertheless, achieving his lifelong dream hadn't made Naruto smile.

He rarely smiled, anymore.

Those left of the Rookie Eleven murmured to themselves after the ceremony, when he declined the opportunity to go out and celebrate and simply returned home alone. Some said it was too soon after Sasuke, that they should just wait and give him time. Others said that they were worried about him, but it was Sakura who kept her silence and merely remembered.

She remembered his words when Team Seven had met again at the Five Kage Summit and fought. She remembered Kakashi trying to order Naruto back, telling him that he still had his dreams to live for, and to die fighting Sasuke would be a waste.

And Naruto had not let Kakashi fight him. He had held Kakashi back and walked forward himself, saying that if he couldn't even save one friend, then how could he become Hokage?

Unlike some, Naruto always meant what he said.

And now, he was Hokage, but they still hadn't managed to save Sasuke.

The others all assumed that Naruto's new, cold manner, his sulky depression and indifferent shrugs, they were all just a phase as he recovered the loss of his best friend.

But Sakura wasn't so sure it was temporary.

However, while the rest of the village called their new Hokage the hero that had won the war, the rest of the world mourned. And Konoha was not excluded from that, either.

The initial elation when Madara and the Jyuubi were sealed and Obito, killed, quickly faded when the Allied Forces realized just how many lives it had taken to kill one insane man, put another back to rest, and seal away a beast. Over half of the greatest army ever forged in this land's history was dead.

The alliance that had been formed was quickly forgotten, inter-village divisions and platoons disbanding as they all flocked back to their Kage, seeking out loved ones in a desperation and hope that they would find more than a body. No one cared, now, about peace talks or treaties or bothering to stay around to see the future of their new alliance- not when they had homes to get back and loved ones to bury. The Kage made plans to speak again about holding their alliance together, but only after three months had passed, when the world could have had at least a chance at trying to fix itself and their dead had been buried.

The processions home were long and horrific. Stretcher after stretcher after stretcher were carried down beaten paths, each and every body covered by a simple white sheet. Underneath was their village's headband, not the new symbol of the Allied Forces, and by their sides were teammates and loved ones- most of them, too, wearing the symbol of their village and not the Allied Forces. Konoha was no exception to this, and genin and civilians stood by, aghast and horrified, as the weary ninja returned home with more dead, it seemed, than those alive.

There was one mass funeral days after, attended by every single man who was well, and many who weren't, ninja walking right out of the hospital in droves- no one with the heart to stop them. The memorial stone was marked with so many new names they almost ran out of space, and for weeks after the site could almost never be found deserted, no matter what time of day.

But time passed, and the acute pain of death, if not the memories, faded.

Konoha began to recover again, still being rebuilt from Pein's invasion. Families with holes in them began to stop mourning and start living again, the suffering of war being forgotten in the past even if the loved ones gone never would be. Their Sixth Hokage began to smile again, and if he picked up a habit of replying to wise or prodding comments with a simple 'Hn' or training more than was healthy, it went unnoticed.

Of course, Sakura and Kakashi noticed, but they never said anything.

What remained of Team Seven didn't meet up much anymore. Naruto and Sakura were both busy, and easy as it would have been to make time in their schedules to meet up once a week, they didn't. The once hopeful memories of what might have been were too painful now, for both of them. Sakura swore she didn't blame Naruto, but that didn't mean it was easy for her to eat lunch or talk with the same hands that had cut Sasuke's throat. Kakashi, on the other hand, simply avoided them both like he avoided everybody nowadays, and on the few occasions Sakura tried to check up on him, he never answered his door. Nowadays, Team Seven only ever came together by complete accident, in Yamato's room in the coma ward at the hospital. And those meetings were usually cut short, one member of the team backing out as silently as they had come when they saw they weren't alone.

The wood user wasn't going to wake up again. They sometimes felt guilty about keeping him alive when there was truly no hope left, but giving the actual order to kill him was something none of them could handle.

Sai was dead. One of the many taken down in the fight to seal the Jyuubi. He was the first member of ROOT to have his name written on the memorial stone.

But even a full year later, Naruto was still not found in his bed in the mornings. If there was an emergency and the Hokage was needed, the ANBU knew where he was.

The sun rose on the familiar sight of two men standing before the memorial stone thirteen months after the war had officially ended. One, the strongest ninja in the village, the other, technically a civilian. Kakashi had retired the moment the government in Konoha had put itself back together enough to locate his file and put it back in the old archives. The injuries he'd sustained against Obito were severe, and he was no longer fit for field work- a lot of his generation weren't, anymore. Now he walked with a slight limp, Konoha headband that Naruto had insisted he keep cocked firmly over his now blind left eye.

When the council had asked Kakashi if he wanted Obito's remaining Sharingan transplanted in it's stead, he had just turned around and walked out.

Naruto knew, despite being half blind and one leg stiff and barely able to bend, the once-Copy Ninja still would've served Konoha until his rank as a jounin was forcibly stripped away. But that was before the war. Now, it seemed even the will to fight had left him.

Right along with with Obito's eye and his best friend's betrayal.

They rarely spoke much, anymore. Naruto was busy as Hokage, and Kakashi- well, he didn't know what Kakashi did anymore. Whatever he was doing, it wasn't hanging around the Hokage Tower. Or Ichiraku. Or anywhere in plain sight. Or even anywhere outside, since Naruto wasn't the only one who barely ever saw him anymore.

Still, there was one place that Naruto could always count on him to be.

Naruto didn't go there to see Kakashi, and Kakashi didn't go there to see him. And when they spoke, it wasn't to each other.

(Of course, they only went to the memorial stone for a lack of any other place to go. Obito's name had been gone for over a year, and Sasuke's was never added in the first place).

"I know I've said this before, Sasuke, but I think I'm really getting close now. We're in meetings once every other day now, and we had one yesterday, and I've swayed over half the council now. I even pulled Niisan into it; got him to stop being such a recluse and pull in some of his old favors. I have a feeling I'll get the two thirds majority I need soon." Naruto sighed quietly at that, looking from the stone without Sasuke's name on it to the grass. "It's… it's almost ten years too late, but Itachi's finally going to be recognized for his sacrifice. They'll add his name to the stone soon, Sasuke. I promise. …I'd do the same for you, but…" he shook his head and laughed bitterly. "I don't think that you'd want me to. Even if you hadn't left… you never really cared much about stuff like this."

Naruto closed his eyes. "…I'd apologize again if I thought you'd care. Something tells me you wouldn't want to hear it, though, even if you were here."

"If I told you that what happened to Sasuke wasn't your fault, would you listen?"

Naruto stiffened at the break in the routine. The closest they got to conversation on mornings like this were joint retellings of what was happening in Konoha now, stories they thought or maybe just hoped that the Sasuke and Obito of their best memories would care about. They didn't talk to each other anymore.

He cleared his throat to retort anyway, because if Kakashi was going to break the status quo, then he might as well. "If I told you that what happened to Obito wasn't your fault, would you listen?"

Kakashi didn't answer him, and Naruto crossed his arms and kept looking at the ground.

Instead of speaking to Sasuke again, though, Naruto found that the only things he could think of to say were to Kakashi. He wanted to chastise his stupid brain, because this was the only time of day that was purely Sasuke's, and it was Kakashi's own fault anyway that they never spoke anymore. But he'd never been that good at controlling his mouth, and being Hokage hadn't done much to change that, so he found the words tumbling out.

"I understand now, Kakashi-niisan."

Naruto wasn't looking at the retired jounin, but he could tell Kakashi was still gazing at the stone and not in his direction, either. The older man didn't even bother to reply for a second or two, or perhaps ten, and just when Naruto thought Kakashi didn't even care what he was talking about he replied.

"Hmm."

Barely a reply, that. But Naruto was already used to how Kakashi talked mostly in sighs and grunts. The only people he bothered to have conversations with now were the dead; with the living, it seemed to take so much effort for him to care that he just decided it wasn't worth it. But Kakashi was the one who had started this conversation in the first place, so Naruto wasn't content to let it die just yet.

"Back when Ero-sennin died, I found you here one morning when I came to see him. I said that I understood why you came here every morning, and you didn't even listen to my reasons- just said I was wrong. …Well, I really understand now."

Kakashi just grunted again. But it somehow came off as understanding and in agreement, not skeptical and doubtful, even though the retired jounin's expression didn't change in the slightest and his stance didn't even twitch.

Another silence followed Naruto's one-sided conversation. He didn't know what else he wanted to say to Sasuke, and since this was the most he had gotten Kakashi to say to him in a long while, he decided the other man was in a good mood today and that he shouldn't waste it.

But coming up with something to say was hard. It wasn't like they had anything to catch up on; Kakashi had been temporary Hokage more than once and knew what the job entailed, and while Naruto didn't know exactly what the retired jounin got up to anymore, he doubted Kakashi would answer if he asked. Talking about the old days was a definite no; that was something the former members of Team Seven just didn't do anymore.

Finally, he spoke up about the topic that was weighing on his mind most heavily at the moment. It always was, at this time of the day.

"Do you think they've forgiven us, Niisan?"

He gestured at the stone as he spoke, then slowly let his hand drop worthlessly back to his side. Kakashi had probably already known who he was talking about. They were here, after all. Whenever they spoke here, it was only about two people.

It took a while, but Kakashi surprised him by replying with words this time. His voice was soft but certain, still not the easygoing drawl Naruto sometimes missed but not the indifferent growl that was common now. "I think they did a long time ago. I think they're waiting for us to forgive ourselves, by this point."

Naruto snorted. _You know I'm too stubborn for that, Sasuke, _he wanted to say, but the words never made it to his mouth.

Kakashi chose to be the one to end the first real meaningful conversation they had had in months. He turned to walk away on the well beaten path, slow tread audible through the light thump of his cane in the dust. It stopped after only a few moments, and Kakashi spoke again. It was probably the most words they had exchanged in a year, by this point.

"For what it's worth, I wish you would at least consider forgiving yourself. It's too late for me. It's not for you, Naruto."

Naruto frowned. It was better than the stiff _Hokage-sama_ he was used to. But Kakashi was already breaking most of their well-established habits that morning; he might as well break them all while he was at it.

He listened to Kakashi walk away until the uneven footsteps faded into silence. Then he simply raised his hand, turned, and walked away.

"See you tomorrow, Sasuke."

**Ending Three**

"Hokage-sama~!"

Naruto groaned at the sing-song voice calling out his name from the hallway. Oh, this was just great. Surely not a humungous waste of time. Because that tone of voice sounded like his visitor had something _important_ to tell him, certainly not something stupid or irrelevant or ridiculous, and he really shouldn't be smiling right now but he couldn't help it.

"Oh, _Hokage-sama!_"

Naruto raised his head reluctantly just in time to see Kakashi fairly skip into his office, a scroll in one hand, clearly very happy to know he was disrupting his work and probably a little pleased about however he had scammed the guards into letting him in _this _time. "Yes, Kakashi-niisan?" he asked, fighting to keep his voice level and sound like he wasn't as amused- okay, maybe not _quite_ as amused- as Kakashi was. "Do you need something?"

The jounin dropped the mission's scroll down onto his desk and crossed his arms, pout was so definite it was visible even with the mask. "What is _this_ supposed to be?"

Naruto grinned. He could already tell this was going to be good. "It looks like a mission's scroll," he played along, smile broadening when Kakashi groaned.

"Yes- but _open it!_"

"Okay." Naruto did as asked, scanned the contents, then looked back up at him. "It's a D-rank mission to clear out the poison ivy from Neko-san's garden."

Kakashi huffed when Naruto refused to make it easy for him. "Why did the people in the mission's room assign it to _me?!_"

"Probably because they thought it was within your skill set."

Kakashi rubbed a hand over his face irritably. "And when I asked them for another," he continued as if he hadn't even heard what Naruto had said, "they said they were ordered to only give me D-ranks!"

"Hmm… oh, that's right!" Naruto snapped his fingers and smiled broadly. "I _did_ order them to only give you D-ranks."

Kakashi looked positively betrayed. His eye widened and he stared in disbelief, and when Naruto just continued to smile he whined in a spot on impersonation of a three year old. "_Why?!_"

Naruto pointed at him and shrugged. "That would be because I _knew_ you wouldn't listen to Sakura-chan and would go back to work before you should. So I'm going to wait until _she_ tells me your wrist is perfectly fine before I fully clear you again."

"But it _is_ fine!"

Naruto just looked at him, and the jounin faltered, though his eye smile remained firmly in place. "Well… it doesn't crack anymore when I pick stuff up?"

"Oh, seriously…"

Kakashi huffed again. "Well, I'm still not doing that." He pointed at the scroll on Naruto's desk like it had said something to personally offend him, continuing to do so even when Naruto rolled his eyes.

"Yes, you are."

"No, I'm not! I'm allergic to poison ivy."

Naruto sighed heavily. "_You're_ the one who wanted a mission so bad, so- what are you talking about; _everybody's_ allergic to poison ivy."

"But I'm more allergic."

Naruto just smiled, more than used to Kakashi's ludicrous excuses by this point, and leaned back in his chair. "Fine, whatever. I'm sure some genin team will be happy to know they're taking the great Sharingan no Kakashi's rejects. Maybe Shikamaru's team; I'm sure he'll appreciate the excuse to laze in the sun while he makes his team do all the work."

Kakashi's eye crinkled up, pleased. "Thank you. Now, if you'll just dig about in that pile on your desk for an A-rank…"

The look Naruto gave him thoroughly stopped him from asking again; he was beginning to think that the older he got, the better impersonation he did of his father. And that always seemed to work on Kakashi, even when every other option failed. The jounin sighed heavily and moved to lean up against the wall, fingers interlocked behind his head, shoulders- and even his hair, it looked like- slumped in defeat. "Maa…"

Naruto smiled, dropping his pen down onto the desk and decided he could use the distraction. "You know, if you just decided to act your age already, then I'd be able to stop worrying about you taking missions you have no business being on."

"What do you mean, act my age? I'm still young yet. Don't look any different than the day we met, in fact."

Naruto groaned again. "Maybe that's because you keep every inch of your body covered and you were _born_ with a head of grey hair."

"Was not. I was born bald."

Naruto let his head thump down on the papers on his desk and groaned loudly.

"And _hey_. My hair is not grey; it's _silver_."

He groaned louder.

A few moments passed before Naruto turned his head to look at Kakashi. "Seriously, Niisan," he continued, voice more sober and sedate before. "Why don't you just retire? Find some nice woman to settle down with, maybe make a few little Copy-Ninjas to run amok. You're only a few months away from forty, you know; keep wasting your time for much longer, and your kids are going to end up pushing your old carcass around before they've even graduated from the Academy."

Kakashi just waved him off, eye smile in place. "What kids? You know me, Naruto. Bachelor for life."

Naruto rolled his eyes again. "Then why don't you just retire and… I don't know, sit out on a porch in a rocking chair or something. Shake your fist at kids and tell them to get off your lawn."

"How old do you think I am, again?"

Naruto grinned as he went back to the papers littering his desk. He had long since given up hope of getting Kakashi paired off with anyone, like most of the Rookie Nine had managed to do. The few dates he and Sakura had managed to set him up on it had all declined another one, declaring the Copy Nin as creepy and a perverted asshole. When they had accused the jounin of purposefully scaring them off, Kakashi had just gave them an eye crinkle and disappeared with a poof.

"Well, speaking of marriage and whatnot. How are you and the Missus doing now?"

Naruto smiled at that. "As good as always. Though my better half's been asking when you're going to show your face around for dinner again. Misses you, for some reason."

"Must be my charming personality."

Naruto snorted. "Right. I'm _sure_ that's it."

Kakashi shrugged mildly. "Either that, or my stunning good looks."

"Trust me, it's neither."

Kakashi held his hand over his heart and adopted the look of a kicked puppy. "So rude, Naruto…" he murmured, then pushed himself off the wall and sighed. "Well, I'm off to go bride Sakura into telling you I'm fine."

Naruto laughed. "We both know you're too cheap for that."

Kakashi frowned deeply, sticking his hands down into his pockets. "Hmm… maybe I'll flatter Yamato into bribing her for me. He'd always good for that."

"You do realize he's in Bird Country, right?"

The jounin groaned at that. "Come on; just give me a real mission."

"Nope. Sorry. Not happening."

Kakashi sighed, but it seemed to really be in defeat this time. "Fine, fine. I'll just go and waste my life until I'm old and grey, doing nothing but genin grunt work… so _sad_." He gave another dramatic sigh again, waving over his shoulder as he slouched out of the office. Almost as an afterthought, it seemed, he stopped and called back, "Tell your wife I might show up tonight. At six, I think."

Naruto smirked. "I'll pick up some eggplant on the way home. It'll be ready by eight, Kakashi-niisan."

"Maa… I'm getting too predictable."

Naruto shrugged slightly. "You never were unpredictable in the first place. Not when I got to know you."

"You're still my number one unpredictable ninja, though. After all this time, you still manage to surprise me. And from behind a desk, took; now that takes real talent."

Naruto beamed at Kakashi's version of praise, even as he shooed him away. He was the Hokage; he _did_ have work to do, after all. "See you tonight, Niisan. Now, don't you have something to do? Like, I don't know, filing out that report that was supposed to be turned in last week."

"I don't have any idea what you're talking about."

He laughed. "Just get it done, will you? Iruka-sensei's been hounding me since you're avoiding him now. He knows you listen to me, after all."

"…Fine. But better have dinner ready at nine, then."

Naruto just rolled his eyes, not bothering to deign that last comment with a response. They both knew a proper mission report took ten minutes, if that, but knowing Kakashi, he would probably procrastinate it out to take an extra hour. Which was expected and fine; Naruto was used to Kakashi still being as lazy as they come. He'd be lucky if the report got done at all today.

The older Kakashi got, the more it seemed like Naruto was the responsible one between them. By the way he acted sometimes, it was almost like he was a gigantic kid and Naruto were the parent- a complete opposite from when they had first met, over fifteen years ago. At other times, though, it seemed like he was still that endlessly wise, knowledgeable (and a little silly) sensei that had taught three naive little genins that teammates were the most important thing there was.

Naruto wondered if Kakashi would lose that mysterious ability of his to make him still feel like a little kid sometimes, then decided it didn't matter. That was what he had heard having parents was like, that they always made you feel like you were a kid again no matter how old you got. And even if Kakashi would probably stab him in the back and leave him for dead if he ever dared say it, the jounin was overprotective like a mother, too, still chucking vegetables into his ramen even now that he was twenty-five and Hokage.

He chuckled to himself and decided that, yep, saying that aloud around Kakashi was definitely a bad idea.

Instead, he looked down at the two pictures of Team Seven on his desk- one from back in their genin days, and then a new one, with Sasuke back and Sai and Yamato included. Kakashi's hand was firmly planted in his hair in both of them, and his eye was smiling.

_Somehow, _he thought, looking at the new picture,_ against all odds, everything turned out all right. _And even though Kakashi was still unbelievably lazy, irresponsible, and a bit of a perverted bastard, he was a member of the very mismatched, awkward, and often, just plain weird family that made up Team Seven. And Naruto knew for a fact that he wouldn't have it any other way.

_See? I warned you. Still can't write fluff :D Anyway, I think I'll let you decide who Naruto ended up with. Sakura… Hinata… an extraordinarily whipped Sasuke… your choice :) Well, that's it, you guys! I've loved writing this, I really have- see, you can tell, because I even killed Kakashi for it. *cuddles Kakashi plushie in apology* I hope you've enjoyed reading as much as I've enjoyed writing, and thank you all for sticking with me, all five months it took. I really hope I made it worth it._

_Love you guys! See you next time! _


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